A potential future star at strawweight faces a former UFC strawweight champion in the octagon. Amanda Ribas and Rose Namajunas compete inside the UFC’s APEX Center at UFC Vegas 89.
Ranked seventh in the UFC's strawweight rankings, Ribas turned pro in 2014. The former Jungle Fight strawweight champion joined the UFC in 2019 and is 7-3 in the octagon. Ribas is 3-3 in her last six fights, trading wins and losses. Her previous contest was a TKO win against Luana Pinheiro in November.
Namajunas turned pro in 2013. She made a name for herself on The Ultimate Fighter in 2014, and even though she lost the tournament final and opportunity to become UFC strawweight champion against Carla Esparza, ”Thug Rose" quickly recovered by beating Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the belt in 2017. Namajunas lost the belt against Jessica Andrade in 2020 but regained it against Zhang Weili in 2021.
Esparza beat her in a bland rematch to win the belt back. In her last fight in September, Namajunas lost against Manon Fiorot in a flyweight contest.
WATCH: UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas on ESPN+
Both need a win and Ribas, familiar with the APEX Center, believes she can do enough to take out the former champion, who has never competed at the APEX.
“I think I can stop her with my distance and striking, so I think that I will knock Rose out in the third round. I like fighting in the Apex because it’s a small cage, and I am close to my opponent.” Ribas told Stake.com via Bloody Elbow.
The Sporting News will provide all you need to know about UFC Vegas 89, from fight card, channel and more.
UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas full fight card
Main card
- Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas; Strawweights
- Justin Tafa vs. Karl Williams Heavyweights
- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. A.J. Dobson; Middleweights
- Payton Talbott vs. Caemron Saaiman; Bantamweights
- Billy Quarantillo vs. Youssef Zalal; Featherweights
- Fernando Padilla vs. Luis Pajuelo; Featherweights
Prelims
- Kurt Holobaugh vs. Trey Ogden; Lightweights
- Ricardo Ramos vs. Julian Erosa; Featherweights
- Miles Johns vs. Cody Gibson; Bantamweights
- Jarno Errens vs. Steven Nguyen; Featherweights
- Montserrat Rendon vs. Darya Zheleznyakova; Bantamweights
- Igor Severino vs. Andre Lima; Flyweights
- Mohammed Usman vs. Mick Parkin; Heavyweights
Justin Tafa vs. Karl Williams; Heavyweights
The co-main event will see Justin Tafa vs. Karl Williams.
Tafa turned pro in 2018. He is 4-3 with the UFC, with one no-contest to his name. The New Zealand native looks to prove he's healthy after backing out of a fight against Marcos Rogerio de Lima in February. His brother Junior took his place. This time, Justin will replace an injured Junior against Williams.
William turned pro in 2021. The former Dana White's Contender Series standout is 3-0 in the octagon, his last fight being a decision win in May 2023 against Chase Sherman.
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Payton Talbott vs. Cameron Saaiman; Bantamweights
Payton Talbott and Cameron Saaiman compete in a bantamweight fight.
Talbott turned pro in 2021. The 25-year-old is a Dana White's Contender Series alum who is 3-0 in the octagon. His last fight was a submission win in November against Nick Aguirre. All but one of his wins have not gone the distance.
Saaiman is a former K-1 kickboxing champion who turned pro in MMA in 2019. Another Contender Series standout, he went 4-0 in the octagon before suffering a setback in October against Christian Rodriguez. “MSP” looks to regain momentum while ending his opponents.
Kurt Holobaugh vs. Trey Ogden; Lightweights
Opening the prelims will be Kurt Holobaugh vs. Trey Ogden.
Holobaugh turned pro in 2011. The former Titan FC featherweight champion competed on Dana White's Contender Series in 2017, with a win overturned following the reveal he used an IV before his fight. He went 0-2 in the UFC, was let go, went 2-0 with XFC, then returned in 2023 (his third stint with the company) and won The Ultimate Fighter 31 lightweight tournament.
The redemption tour for the 37-year-old started with a submission win against Lee Hammond, beating Jason Knight via TKO, and submitting Austin Hubbard in the finals to return to the octagon.
Ogden turned pro in 2015. "Samurai Ghost" joined the UFC in 2022. His last win in the octagon was in 2022, and his last fight was a no-contest in November 2023. The Kansas City native has a 16-6 record.
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How to watch UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas
- Date: Saturday, March 23
- Time: 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT | 2 a.m. GMT | 1 p.m. AEDT
- Channel/live stream: ESPN+ | TNT Sports | Main Event on Kayo
- Location: UFC APEX - Las Vegas
The UFC Vegas 89 prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Marc 23, with the main card at 10 p.m. ET. Ribas and Namajunas should make their way to the octagon around 12:15 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last. The event is in the UFC's APEX in Las Vegas.
UFC Vegas 89 price: How much does Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas cost?
You can pay $10.99 for a monthly subscription to ESPN+ or buy an annual subscription for $109.99.
WATCH: UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas on ESPN+
| Product | Prices |
|---|---|
| ESPN+ Monthly Subscription | $10.99/mo |
| ESPN+ Annual Subscription | $109.99/yr |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu Ad-Supported | $14.99/mo |
| The Disney Bundle w/Hulu No-Ads | $24.99/mo |
Click here to learn about the different pricing and bundling options with the ESPN+ platform.
Betting odds for UFC Vegas 89: Amanda Ribas vs. Rose Namajunas
Per Bet MGM, Rose Namajunas is the -210 favorite, while Amanda Ribas is the +170 underdog.