Amanda Ribas vs. Carla Esparza is no longer expected to take place on Dec. 12.
The inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion was originally in talks to make her return against Ribas at UFC 256, but MMA Fighting has confirmed that the match-up is off the books for the pay-per-view event. While both competitors did verbally agree to fight each other at the show, the date was never finalized. It’s believed that the fight will be booked for a future show in 2021.
However, Ribas is expected to remain on the Dec. 12th card. Since joining the company back in 2019, the Brazilian has slowly risen up the ranks in the strawweight division. Thus far, Ribas remains undefeated in the UFC, with her biggest wins coming over Emily Whitmire (via submission at UFC on ESPN 3) and Paige Van Zant (via submission at UFC 251). The 27-year-old hasn’t lost a fight in five years and overall, Ribas’ professional record stands at 10 wins and 1 loss.
The upcoming pay-per-view will feature a UFC Women’s Featherweight title match between Amanda Nunes and Megan Anderson. The show was originally set to be headlined with a UFC Welterweight title bout between Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman; however, that fight has been pulled from the show. We’ll keep you updated on the situation regarding Amanda Ribas and the overall pay-per-view in general.