Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson added to UFC 257

An intriguing women’s strawweight bout between Amanda Ribas and Michelle Waterson is the latest addition to January’s UFC 257 PPV card.

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto was the first to report the Ribas vs. Waterson matchup, which is set to take place at UFC 257 on January 23, likely at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event of the card is targeted to be a rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier. It seems likely that Ribas vs. Waterson will take place on the main PPV portion of the card.

UFC working on a fun one at 115 pounds … Michelle Waterson (@karatehottiemma) vs. Amanda Ribas (@amandaribasufc) is nearly finalized for UFC 257 on Jan. 23, per sources. pic.twitter.com/pktucjAs3n

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 3, 2020

UFC working on a fun one at 115 pounds … Michelle Waterson ( @karatehottiemma ) vs. Amanda Ribas ( @amandaribasufc ) is nearly finalized for UFC 257 on Jan. 23, per sources.

Ribas (10-1) is the No. 9 ranked women’s strawweight in the UFC. The 27-year-old Brazilian has looked incredible since joining the UFC in June 2019. Since then, she has picked up stoppage wins over Paige VanZant and Emily Whitmire and decision wins over Randa Markos and Mackenzie Dern. Ribas is a dominant fighter on the ground and she looks to be someone who will be a top contender at 115lbs for years to come.

Waterson (18-8) is the No. 6 ranked women’s strawweight in the UFC. Since joining the UFC roster in 2015, Waterson is 6-4 overall in the UFC with wins over Angela Hill, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Felice Herrig, Cortney Casey, Paige VanZant, and Angela Magana, with losses to Carla Esparza, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Tecia Torres, and Rose Namajunas. The 34-year-old American has been a contender for years but has never tasted UFC gold.

In a deep UFC women’s strawweight division, this is an important fight for both women as they look to move into title contention at 115lbs. Look for Ribas to try and get Waterson to the ground and control her there, while Waterson will be looking to keep this one standing.

Who do you think wins, Amanda Ribas or Michelle Waterson?