Amanda Ribas went down hard in Abu Dhabi after an elbow from Tabatha Ricci sent her crashing to the mat. But what looked like another brutal KO loss might’ve actually been a blessing in disguise.
That elbow didn’t just end the fight it dislodged a metal plate that had been sitting in Amanda’s face since her 2023 loss to Maycee Barber. She’s now set for surgery in São Paulo to put it back in place, but the real story is what’s been happening behind the scenes.
According to her father and coach, Marcelo Ribas, Amanda has been fighting more than just opponents. Since her first post-surgery win over Luana Pinheiro in November 2023, she’s been dealing with serious medical issues that no one could fully explain.
“The old plate was dislocated in the Luana Pinheiro fight, and Amanda was experiencing faints, severe pain, and even seizures since,” Marcelo revealed. “She almost couldn’t train after that fight.”
They ran every possible test, including a brain MRI, but nothing pointed to the plate as the cause. Amanda Ribas kept showing up and fighting anyway, even though her body was screaming for help. She lost to Rose Namajunas, Mackenzie Dern, and now Tabatha Ricci, all while quietly battling symptoms that were taking a toll on her health and career.
“[Amanda] was doing psychiatric and psychological treatment thinking that was the problem,” Marcelo said. “And if it wasn’t for the elbow, maybe we wouldn’t have found out. It’s God, brother. Thank God we discovered what was causing the pains, faints, and seizures since the Luana fight.”
Now under the care of Dr. Sergio Miranda at Albert Einstein Hospital in São Paulo, Amanda Ribas is undergoing further exams to prepare for surgery. At the moment, the focus isn’t on training or making a return. It’s about healing, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“She’s not in pain anymore,” Marcelo said. “She felt the worst pain in the world on the trigeminal nerve, and the worst is over.”
Amanda Ribas might be out of action for a while, but this chapter isn’t about comeback talk or fight hype. It’s about survival, awareness, and gratitude. For once, the fight isn’t in the cage, it’s in recovery.
