Paige VanZant and Amanda Ribas have agreed to a UFC flyweight bout on July 11 at an undisclosed location, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The matchup was originally booked for March 14 in Brazil, but VanZant (8-4) was forced to withdraw because of an arm injury. Ribas (9-1) remained on the March 14 event and defeated Randa Markos, VanZant’s replacement, via unanimous decision.
The initial matchup between VanZant and Ribas was scheduled to take place in the 115-pound strawweight division. This new date will take place at 125 pounds.
The UFC has not released details on a July 11 event, but the date was originally reserved for a pay-per-view event, before the promotion’s 2020 schedule was impacted by the coronavirus. Brazilian news outlet Combate first reported the fight.
In a social media post on Thursday, VanZant hinted the event would take place at “an island near you,” a likely reference to UFC president Dana White’s mysterious Fight Island.
As of now, this will mark the last fight on VanZant’s exclusive UFC contract. The 26-year-old has fought exclusively in the UFC since 2014, amassing an overall record of 5-3. She has just one appearance in the past two years because of arm injuries. She is coming off a decision win against Rachael Ostovich.
Ribas, 26, is considered one of the best new prospects at 115 pounds. The Brazilian is 3-0 since signing with the UFC in 2019, with wins over Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern and Markos.
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