Maycee Barber will look to turn her four-fight win streak into five this Saturday when she takes on Brazil’s Amanda Ribas.
Barber last competed in March when she defeated Andrea Lee by split decision to swap ranks in the flyweight division and get herself to #11. Ribas sits two spots higher at #9 having last beat out Viviane Araujo at UFC 285 earlier this year.
While barber has steadily been making her way through the lower tiers into the top 10 along her most recent run, Ribas has flip-flopped between wins and losses in her last five. At the same time, she has consistently proved she can hang with the best of the division, but getting past Barber with a win would go a long way as it would mark her first win streak since 2020.
Barber and Ribas will clash at this Saturday’s UFC on ABC 5 event, set to take place at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
If you’re looking to place a bet on the fights this weekend, head on over to BetUS using our special link and you’ll be eligible for a special $2,500 sign-up bonus.
Betting Odds
The higher-ranked Ribas will welcome Barber into the octagon as the underdog. This means that for every $100 placed on Barber, a profit of $163 could be won.
Special Offer: Sign up to BetUS today and get an exclusive sign-up offer worth up to $2,500
Fight Breakdown
Maycee Barber is a well-rounded and scrappy fighter. On the feet, she tends to do a lot of work from southpaw but will switch with good athletic footwork and the ability to float as she moves. She is very active, mobile, and accurate with her punches, but leans into her kicking when standing on the outside. Although she does not land every kick thrown, she keeps the activity up and forces her opponents to respect entering range with her, but then uses her punches to enter herself and end her combinations with a right power kick often. When she has her opponents planted or shifting back, look for her to exchange in the pocket and find her opportunity to land a step in elbow, her elbows are probably her nastiest advantage amongst her flyweight peers and her best weapon.
Barber is different than Ribas in the way she carries power. Barber has obvious heaviness to her shots when she lands, she is mostly planted deep in her stand when she hits combinations and you can almost see the “thud” when she connects. In Ribas’ case when she lands the power comes more from the whip of her punches, and she will snap her opponent’s head back or grant a knockdown from a shot that doesn’t particularly look like it has the same kind of weight behind it. Compared to the more conventional MMA striking that Barber shows, Ribas does represent the hunched Muay Thai that traditionally has come out of Brazil.
Ribas will switch her stance according to her opponent, often electing to match them, southpaw to southpaw or orthodox to orthodox. When southpaw, watch for her to lead with the right jab or lead inside low kick to set up a long left cross. She also sneaks in her jab as a sit-down power shot from southpaw, as well. From orthodox watch for a slick counter starting with the right slip off her opponent’s left straight, to a low right cross, left hook high, and a right low kick. Compared to Barber, Ribas definitely needs a longer feeling out period to gauge her timing and distance typically.
In her last fight, Barber’s biggest issue was in her inability to stop Andrea Lee’s takedowns. This fight, both for her and fans will try to answer the question this is how much she has improved and felt with this problem. Amanda Ribas is a solid Judo player turned Jiu Jitsu fighter, so she is a tremendous grappler in her own right. She lands hip tosses and throws fairly often and drive through trips if she can catch her opponent’s kicks. She ultimately wants to get to half-guard, and even if she can pass all the way to side control will step back into half-guard for the added control over the hips. Her roots in Judo also make her particularly comfortable in half guard should her opponent win the battle for the under hook and get to their knees, as Ribas will happily work from the whizzer and far wrist to drive them back into the mat, allow them to rise into a hip toss or re-engage in the clinch standing. She will also attack head and arm chokes from half guard or transition partially up to guard for ground and pound.
Prediction
Barber is coming in with the momentum but Ribas is still a good step up. I believe that Barber will have success early on, she is a quick starter and does a good job of setting a pace and getting into her rhythm very quickly. However I do think that Ribas, once settled into the fight has the tools to win, they both have good power but Ribas sets up her counters better the longer the fight goes.
The big question is whether or not Barber can stop the takedowns.
Barber may also look to land her own takedowns, but in general I believe that Ribas tends to be more difficult to keep down once they hit the canvas. Barber will sometimes expose her back to sneak out the backdoor when she gets desperate, and with someone like Ribas, I think she will be able to keep her base heavy and pick her moments to pass, especially if she already has Barber hurt from strikes earlier on.
Pick: Amanda Ribas to win (-212)
Special Offer: Sign up to BetUS today and get an exclusive sign-up offer worth up to $2,500