Namajunas Set for Return against Ribas on Stacked Vegas 88 Card

The main event at UFC Vegas 88 is a flyweight contest between Amanda Ribas and Rose Namajunas, a clear signal as to which division both fighters see their future in, yet both have fought at strawweight before. Namajunas lost her flyweight debut to Manon Fiorot in September 2023, yet is undeterred and wants to make a success of this division. If she slips to 11-7, it would be challenging to see Namajunas soon earning a title shot at Alexa Grasso. Should she win, however, she becomes very relevant again on MMA breaking news as a top-rated fighter.

Ribas has floated between strawweight and flyweight for the last few years but has failed to gain momentum in either division, having a result sequence like this: WIN-LOSS-WIN-LOSS-WIN-LOSS-WIN, which hasn’t helped her career in terms of advancing toward a title fight. Yet if she can finally put together consecutive victories, she might pop up on either Grasso’s or Zhang Weili’s radar and become relevant for the MMA news sites.

Ramos Looks to Overtake Erosa

Ricardo Ramos has been with the UFC for seven years now. In that time, he’s never truly delivered the promise he showed on Dana White’s Looking for a Fight series. After returning to featherweight he has been inconsistent but scored an imposing KO win with a spinning back elbow against Danny Chavez in June 2022. Yet after a subsequent loss, he’s now back looking to rebuild his career in this match.

Julian Erosa was on an awe-inspiring 6-1 run between 2020 and late 2022 until he suffered two straight first-round KO losses, first to Alex Caceres and then to Fernando Padilla, which put him back multiple steps in his quest for featherweight glory. Much like his opponent, he needs a win here to revive his career.

Undefeated Rendon fights Debuting Zheleznyakova

There’s a tangible excitement about newer fighters squaring off early in their MMA careers in the UFC, a concept fight fans and MMA news websites get equally as enthralled about. Monserrat Rendon is 6-0, having made a successful debut in her first UFC fight against Tamires Vidal in September 2023 with a split decision in favor of the Mexican fighter.

Darya Zheleznyakova joins the UFC, having impressed in multiple promotions in both her native Russia and with Ares FC in Paris, France. She has an 8-1 record to date and won many of those fights with fierce punch power, especially her ground-and-pound game. The question is, can she bring her qualities to succeed at the highest level of MMA?

Last Chance for 12-4 Fighters

Edmen Shahbazyan and Duško Todorović both joined the UFC after impressing in their respective local MMA ranks in America and Serbia. Shahbazyan managed to succeed with great vigor as his fights against Charles Byrd, Jack Marshman, and Brad Tavares all ended with his hand being raised within the first round, all on UFC PPVs, as he climbed to 10-0. Yet, Derek Brunson threw a spanner in the works when he defeated Shahbazyan in 2020, which put him on a downward trajectory.

The Serbian hasn’t had quite as much success in the UFC. Todorović’s three wins in the UFC have all come through ground-and-pound techniques, proving that he has the power. However, he hasn’t shown the defensive finesse needed at this level, as he’s lost as many fights by stoppage.

Strawweight Newbies Fight for Recognition

With similar records, Stephanie Luciano and Shauna Bannon head into their strawweight contest on this card. The Brazilian Luciano has a 5-1-1 resume, while her Irish adversary has a 5-1 record, with both female fighters looking for their sixth win going into this bout. Luciano is making her full UFC debut in this fight, getting that draw on a Dana White’s Contender Series card. Dana White and the fight fans hope she can display the same punch power she displayed on the Jungle Fight cards.

Standing on the opposite side of the cage is Shauna Bannon. The Irish fighter put together a great series of wins with Cage Legacy and Invicta FC, as she earned a very impressive 5-0 record, earning her a contract with the UFC. She debuted with the company in London, England, on a UFC Fight Night event, where she fell to defeat against Bruna Brasil after all three rounds. Can she get back to winning ways on this card?

Can Pajuelo Keep the Peruvian Party Going?

At the end of 2023, Jesus Pinedo became the first-ever major international Peruvian MMA champion when he won the PFL featherweight championship. That has created a significant interest in Peruvian MMA with a growing market. As such, the UFC has promoted Luis Pajuelo to the main UFC roster as he awaits his debut fight on this card. He’s 8-1 and winning most of his fights with a series of punches. 

The man trying to stop the Peruvian fiesta is a Mexican, Fernando Padilla. He’s a lot more experienced in the cage, having amassed a 15-5 record, and he holds the distinction of having only ever won his fights by either KO or submission. He has never relied on the judges to award him a victory.

By Dean McHugh