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The time is finally here for the UFC Jacksonville Co-Main event as two ranked fighters will square off for a favorable position in the Women's Flyweight (125 lb) Division. No. 9 ranked Brazilian Amanda Ribas will face off against No. 11 ranked Maycee Barber for a possible spot in the Top 10. Check out our UFC odds series for our Ribas-Barber prediction and pick.
Amanda Ribas is 11-3 as a professional fighter and has gone 6-2 during her time with the UFC. She has notable wins in the division over Mackenzie Dern, Paige VanZant, and Virna Jandiroba. Her lone losses are to highly competitive opponents and Ribas looked her best-ever in her last fight against Viviane Araujo. Ranked in the top-10, she'll hope to silence the hype behind Maycee Barber and continue her path towards the title. Ribas stands 5'4″ with a 66-inch reach.
Maycee Barber is 12-2 as a professional fighter and has gone 7-2 since appearing on Contender Series in 2018. Barber has faced nothing but solid competition since her debut and started her career at 3-0. After losing back-to-back fights to Roxanne Modafferi and now-champion Alexa Grasso, Barber was able to bounce back with four consecutive wins over very strong opposition and find herself ranked in the top-15. A win over Ribas would make her an undeniable contender for a top-5 opponent. Barber stands 5'5″ with a 65-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Jacksonville Odds: Amanda Ribas-Maycee Barber Odds
Amanda Ribas: -188
Maycee Barber: +152
Over (2.5) rounds: -225
Under (2.5) rounds: +172
How to Watch Amanda Ribas vs. Maycee Barber
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN+, fuboTV
Time: 3:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Amanda Ribas Will Win
Amanda Ribas is an extremely well-rounded fighter and fights with a hard-nosed attitude at all times in the cage. She's constantly pressuring forward with her boxing and doesn't mind taking a hit. She does a great job keeping her striking output high and mixing in her leg kicks. Ribas is also very crafty against the cage and feels comfortable on the ground with two of her UFC wins by way of submission. Her activity in her last fight against Araujo was masterful as she landed counter punches and dominated the wrestling exchanges. She'll be the better submission artist in this fight, but it's worth noting that Barber has never been submitted.
Amanda Ribas will win the fight if she's able to catch Maycee Barber on her entries with her jab and straight punches. Ribas does a great job of timing her opponents' movements, so she should be able to counter the circling of Barber with her striking. If she can get Barber backing up against the cage, Ribas will open up with her strikes and shoot for a takedown if she has to. Ribas should look to work patiently on the feet and only chase the submission if an opportunity presents itself. Her cardio over three rounds has been tested, so don't be surprised if she grows stronger as the fight wears on.
Why Maycee Barber Will Win
Maycee Barber continues to evolve her striking and is turning into a problem within the Flyweight Division. Since dropping those two bouts, Barber has made serious improvements to her mental game and has stuck to a specific plan in each one of her following fights. Scoring four consecutive decision wins, Barber has been stifling opponents on the feet and impressing with her athletic grappling. She lands a solid number of significant strikes per minute at 4.2 and does a good job covering herself up. Against an even more active striker in Ribas, Barber will have to stay patient in her defensive guard and not put herself in bad positions.
To win this fight, Barber will have to be the more accurate striker. While Ribas may be more active, Barber lands at a higher clip and can land with a bit more power. She'll have to keep Ribas guessing by mixing up her attacks and adding in some high head kicks into her arsenal. Barber will be the stronger fighter and may be tough to bring down in this one. Don't be surprised if Barber can reverse a takedown attempt from Ribas and turn it into one of her own.
Final Amanda Ribas-Maycee Barber Prediction & Pick
Maycee Barber has a great skill set for this division and is continually showing a growth in her game with each fight that passes. If she's able to counteract her reach issues with big moments and significant shots, she could have a chance to win this fight. Ribas, however, boasts and 86% takedown defense and will likely be the one dictating where this fight takes place. For that reason, our prediction lies with Amanda Ribas as the favorite. She does the small things better and will have a big advantage with her grappling. It would take an inspired effort for Barber to get it done, but expect Saturday to be all about Amanda Ribas.
Final Amanda Ribas-Maycee Barber Prediction & Pick: Amanda Ribas (-188)
