Another two bouts have been confirmed for the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi in October, with Amanda Ribas once again to compete in the capital.
The Brazilian, who featured in two of the three Fight Island series to take place in the emirate, was announced for UFC 267 by the promotion on Sunday. The event, which concludes Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, is set for October 30, at Etihad Arena.
Looking to bounce back from her January defeat at the same venue to Marina Rodriguez, Ribas faces compatriot and fellow strawweight Virna Jandiroba. A light-heavyweight clash between Volkan Oezdemir and Magomed Ankalaev was also confirmed on Sunday.
The card is topped by two title bouts, where Jan Blachowicz defends his light-heavyweight belt against No 1-ranked contender Glover Teixeira, while bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling takes on Petr Yan in a rematch of their title clash at UFC 259 in March. Elsewhere, Khamzat Chimaev will make his long-awaited comeback following a protracted battle with Covid-19. He takes on China’s Li Jingliang.
Like Chimaev, Ribas was one of the breakthrough stars of the inaugural Fight Island last summer. In July, the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, 27, defeated Paige VanZant by first-round submission to extend her win streak in the promotion to four. However, Ribas lost her next bout, once more in Abu Dhabi, via a second-round TKO to Rodriguez - much to the majority fans’ disappointment at UFC 257. As such, her professional mixed martial arts record stands at 10-2.
Meanwhile, Jandiroba is 17-2 as a pro, with three victories and two defeats in the UFC. She last competed in June, when she dispatched Japan’s Kanako Murata by second-round TKO.
UFC 267 marks the UFC’s return to the emirate for the first time since January, and forms part of the five-year agreement signed in 2019 between the world’s lead mixed martial arts promotion and Abu Dhabi. More bouts are expected to be confirmed within the coming days.
