UFC Vegas 96: Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci: Live round-by-round updates
UFC octagon veteran Angela Hill will take on Tabatha Ricci in a women's strawweight duel on Aug. 24 at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas. The co-main event of the UFC Vegas 96 showcase embodies the classic showdown between an experienced warrior and an up-and-coming talent.
Hill wields the strength of a two-fight win streak, coming off a submission win over Luana Pinheiro and a unanimous decision victory against Denise Gomes. This weekend, Hill will become only the second woman in UFC history to compete in 25 fights, joining Jessica Andrade.
Meanwhile, Ricci bounced back from her second UFC loss with a split-decision win over Tecia Pennington in May. She has registered a 5-2 record in the promotion and will be keen on breaking the top-10 with a win over Hill.
The prelims of UFC Vegas 96 will stream exclusively on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. PT/ 7 p.m. ET, while the main card will be aired on ESPN and ESPN+ at 7 p.m. PT/ 10 p.m. ET.
Stay tuned to Sportskeeda MMA for live results and play-by-play updates from the Angela Hill vs. Tabatha Ricci fight.
Round 1
Ricci swarms in to clinch and eats a couple of punches. Hill pushes Ricci's face with elbows to establish a dominant posture. Ricci fails to capitalize from the underhook position but lands heavy strikes when they break from the position. And over under position against the fence now as Ricci lands two punches to stagger her opponent. She's dictating the pace at the moment and the overhand right seems to be her choice of weapon for the contest. Hill tries to time her attacks with Ricci's forward motion but the Brazilian has been relentless in her offensive display so far. While Ricci has done a good job of engaging in the clinch, Hill's posture and strength against the fence seem to be throwing a spanner on her plans.
Our Score: 10-9 Ricci
Round 2
Ricci manages to take down Hill early in the second frame and posters up to evade incoming upkicks. Hill manages to get back on her feet as they engage in body clinch against the fence. Ricci cuts off the cage and both fighters swing in the center of the octagon. It would serve well for Ricci if she times the overhand right by calculating where Hill's head would be when she ducks behind punches. Hill seems to be finding her rhythm, leading with the jab and overhand right with some occasional kicks for good measure. Stifling right hands from Hill with a minute to go in the second round that grabs Ricci's attention. The Brazilian quickly takes Hill down to secure another round.
Our Score: 10-9 Ricci
Round 3
Hill lands a spinning backfist to counter Ricci's attacks. Ricci transitioning to the southpaw stance as both fighters take each other down in quick succession for a brief period. This has been a high-octane clash so far. Ricci forces the clinch against the fence to regroup. A jab and one-two land for Ricci. 'Baby Shark' eats an overhand right and answers back with a counter punch. Both fighters are headhunting at this point as Hill sprawls to evade a takedown attempt. They are fighting through fatigue and swing it out to close out perhaps the most competitive round of the fight.
Our Score: 10-9 Hill
Official Decision:
Tabatha Ricci defeats Angela Hill by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).