This weekend’s UFC Apex main card will see two women with 6-2 records in their last eight fights go head-to-head on Saturday night.
Top-ranked flyweight Katlyn Chookagian (17-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) will see action against ninth-ranked strawweight Amanda Ribas (11-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), who is returning to the 125-pound division for the first time since 2020.
The two face off at UFC Fight Night: Blachowicz vs Rakic.
Chookagian is looking to continue her three-fight win streak with three decisions over Jennifer Maia, Viviane Araujo, and Cynthia Calvillo. The former title contender also has notable wins over Joanne Calderwood, Alexis Davis, and Irene Aldana.
Only three of Chookagain’s wins in her career have been finishes: two by knockout and one by submission.
Her only two losses by finish have both been TKOs from flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko in their title fight matchup two years ago and former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.
Ribas has scored finishes in seven of her 11 career victories. She has three knockouts and four submissions in her MMA career. However, she has just two finishes in her UFC run so far with submissions over Emily Whitmere and Paige VanZant.
Ribas is coming off a victory against Virna Jandiroba at UFC 267 back in October. Prior to that bout, she lost by TKO to Marina Rodriguez.
Ribas also has notable wins over Mackenzie Dern and Randa Markos.
Chookagian vs Ribas: how they stack up
Chookagian is a well-balanced fighter but has lacked power in her striking which is shown across her decision-laced record. She’s great at peppering in her jabs with her long reach and gaining control on the ground using her jiu-jitsu skills, getting the judges on her side.
She moves cool, calm, and collected in the Octagon and the technical point-fighting game has worked against most in the division.
Ribas has stellar judo and muay thai. She’s also dangerous on the ground and can grab a submission off her back at a moment’s notice.
Most sportsbooks have Ribas as a +130 to +155 underdog against Chookagian, a -170 to -180 favorite. Chookagian has been on the UFC roster since 2016 while Ribas joined the promotion in 2019. Chookagian has also been under the title fight lights in the past, so experience is on her side in this matchup.
The winner of this fight will be able to add a great name to their resume either way. For Chookagian, a dominant win could get her back into title talks in the near future. Champ Shevchenko is scheduled to fight Talia Santos next month at UFC 275 in Singapore and the flyweight belt should be on the line again by the end of the year.
Ribas, who has been fighting in two divisions, could jump the flyweight line quite a bit with a finish over Chookagian. It’s a little more unclear if a win would affect her strawweight ranking, but it could set her up for a top-five opponent in that division if that’s the route she takes.
How to watch
When: Saturday, May 14 at 10 p.m. ET for main card, 7:30 p.m. ET for prelims
Where: ESPN Plus
Denise Kielholtz | Kana Watanabe |
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---|---|---|
33 | Age | 33 |
5'3'' | Height | 5'6'' |
125 lbs | Weight | 125 lbs |
66 inches inches | Reach | 66 inches |
Juliana Velasquez: L (Dec.) | Last 5 | Liz Carmouche: L (TKO) |
Kate Jackson: W (KO) | Alejandra Lara: W (Dec.) | |
Kristina Williams: W (Sub) | Ilara Joanne: W (TKO) | |
Sabriye Sengul: W (Sub) | Hee Eun Kang: W (Sub) | |
Bryony Tyrell: W (TKO) | Justyna Haba: W (Dec.) |