Amanda Ribas hopes to finally get her hands on Paige VanZant when the UFC schedule, currently paused by the coronavirus pandemic, resumes.
Ribas (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is even willing to travel to Dana White’s private island to ensure it happens, and VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is apparently interested in competing in that location, too.
The Brazilian strawweight was supposed to get the fight at UFC on ESPN+ 28 in March, but VanZant was forced to withdraw due to an arm injury. Ribas went on to dominate replacement opponent Randa Markos, and now she wants her original booking back.
“I want to go to Dana’s Island,” Ribas told MMA Junkie. “She wants to go too, so let’s do it. I think it will be a good fight, not just for me, but for the fans, the UFC, too. She put that on the Twitter, (so) why not? I did a tweet (calling her out).”
It remains to be seen if VanZant is up for the task, though. Ribas, No. 14 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie MMA strawweight rankings, has looked like a force in all three of her octagon wins thus far. VanZant, meanwhile, has been out of action for 15 months and counting, and has competed just twice since December 2016.
Fighting Ribas after such a long period of inactivity would arguably be a bad idea, but VanZant has, if nothing else, shown herself to be tough with a willingness to fight anyone. For that reason, Ribas thinks she would take the fight, and anticipates an exciting matchup.
“It would be so good,” Ribas said. “She fights like she doesn’t stop. All the time kicking and striking, I think it would be an exciting fight with me and her. I hope she says.”
With the UFC recently postponing UFC 249 and suspending plans for all events indefinitely, it remains to seen when fights will start being booked again. White claims he’s going to have a private island that hosts UFC fights up and running within the next month, and Ribas said she’s jubilant about the idea of getting on one of those cards.
“Imagine that? It’s a mystery island,” Ribas said. “I imagine like Mortal Kombat the game with the arenas. I imagine something crazy. Because of that I want to fight.”
Amanda Ribas wants Paige VanZant fight rebooked on Dana White's island
