Amanda Ribas might have entered UFC Vegas 54 in a compromised state.
Following Ribas’ fight with Katlyn Chookagian on the main card of Saturday’s UFC event, her father Marcelo revealed on Instagram that the fighter suffered a ‘total rupture of the biceps tendon’ 25 days before fight night. Ribas went on to lose a split decision to Chookagian after a competitive contest.
See Marcelo’s post below, which includes what appears to be footage of Ribas rehabbing the injury.
“A very stressful month,” Marcelo wrote on Instagram. “A golden opportunity to fight world number one. At 25 days, an injury ‘total rupture of the biceps tendon’ comes in, then physical therapy 3 times a day to try to get [her] to fight. … 25 days without training our strength which is jiu jitsu and judo. And we’d arrive in Las Vegas not knowing if we’d be able to handle grappling or wrestling on the ground.”
Ribas — No. 8 at 115 pounds in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings — moved up to 125 pounds to fight Chookagian, a one-time flyweight title challenger who is currently ranked No. 3 in the division. The Brazilian standout had her moments, especially using her grappling to dominate sections of the fight, but in the end two of the judges awarded Chookagian the win due to her striking advantage on the feet.
It’s unclear if Ribas plans to continue competing at 125 pounds, though a win over Chookagian would have instantly made her a contender in that weight class. She and Chookagian each earned a $50,000 bonus for winning the Fight of the Night award, the first UFC post-event bonus for either fighter.
“[Amanda] did what she loves to do and gave her heart, even though she was in a lot of pain she overcame herself and made this beautiful fight,” Marcelo wrote. “And came what is independent of the result. The best fight of the night. Pain and injury are fleeting, but honor and memory are eternal. … soon Amanda will be back.”
Ribas also posted a positive message on Instagram:
