Amanda Ribas Withdraws From UFC Oklahoma City Due to Injury; Tabatha Ricci Steps In Against Fatima Kline

Tenth-ranked strawweight contender Amanda Ribas has officially withdrawn from her scheduled July 18 bout against Fatima Kline at UFC Fight Night in Oklahoma City. The Brazilian fighter was forced off the card after experiencing severe dizziness during her training camp, prompting medical professionals to issue a mandatory three-month suspension. However, the UFC moved quickly to keep the highly anticipated strawweight matchup intact. Eighth-ranked Tabatha "Baby Shark" Ricci has agreed to step in on short notice, ensuring that Kline will still face a top-10 test at the Paycom Center. The swift replacement preserves a crucial bout for the 115-pound division, setting the stage for a high-stakes clash on the preliminary card of the Dricus Du Plessis versus Kamaru Usman event.[1][2][4][5]

For Amanda Ribas, the withdrawal comes with a profound sense of relief, as it finally provided an explanation for a terrifying medical ordeal. According to her father and head coach, Marcelo Ribas, the 32-year-old fighter had been suffering from unexplained fainting spells, severe chronic pain, and even seizures over the past two years. The terrifying symptoms had severely impacted her ability to train and compete at full capacity. Initially, the issues were misdiagnosed, leading Ribas to undergo extensive psychological and psychiatric treatments under the assumption that the fainting was stress-induced. It was only after the recent bout of dizziness that doctors conducted deeper scans and discovered the true, physical root of the problem.[2][6]

The medical evaluations revealed that a steel plate, which had been surgically inserted into Ribas's face following an orbital fracture in 2023, had become dangerously dislocated. The shifted hardware was pressing directly against sensitive nerves and facial muscles, triggering the seizures and fainting episodes that had plagued her recent camps. "Thank God we discovered what was causing the pains, faintings, and seizures," Marcelo Ribas told reporters, noting that his daughter had been fighting at less than fifty percent capacity for years. Ribas will now undergo corrective surgery to properly secure the plate, with her team prioritizing her long-term health over an immediate return to the Octagon.[2][6]

With Ribas sidelined to focus on her recovery, Tabatha Ricci seized the opportunity to jump back into the fray. The 31-year-old Brazilian veteran is looking to erase the memory of her most recent outing, a unanimous decision loss to recent title challenger Virna Jandiroba in April 2026. Prior to that setback, Ricci had established herself as a formidable gatekeeper in the top 10, boasting a professional record of 12-4 with a reputation for relentless grappling and heavy top pressure. By accepting the short-notice assignment against a dangerous rising prospect, Ricci is betting on her experience to protect her No. 8 ranking and immediately reinsert her name into the championship conversation.[1][4][5]

On the other side of the cage, the opponent switch represents an unexpected upgrade for 26-year-old Fatima Kline. Currently sitting at No. 11 in the official UFC strawweight rankings, Kline was originally preparing to face the No. 10-ranked Ribas. Now, she gets the chance to leapfrog even higher by taking out the No. 8-ranked Ricci. Kline has been riding a massive wave of momentum since dropping down to her natural weight class, putting together a flawless three-win campaign in 2025. Her recent run included a brutal second-round technical knockout over Viktoriia Dudakova, a spectacular head-kick finish against Melissa Martinez, and a dominant unanimous decision over veteran Angela Hill.[1][3]

Kline's camp has expressed zero hesitation about the late change in opponent. The New York native, who holds a stellar 9-1 professional record, noted that she is eager to test her evolving skill set against someone with Ricci's specific grappling pedigree. While Ribas presented a chaotic, striking-heavy threat, Ricci brings a more methodical, ground-focused attack that will force Kline to rely heavily on her takedown defense. Kline's ability to keep the fight standing and dictate the pace on the feet will be the ultimate deciding factor in whether she can secure the biggest victory of her young career.[3][4]

The stylistic matchup between Ricci and Kline offers a classic clash of prospect versus veteran. Ricci lands an average of 4.00 significant strikes per minute but relies heavily on her wrestling, securing 2.51 takedowns per fifteen minutes. Kline, meanwhile, pushes a higher volume on the feet, landing 5.01 significant strikes per minute with an impressive 50 percent accuracy rate. If Kline can utilize her 67-inch reach advantage to stuff Ricci's takedown attempts—a metric where Kline boasts a 50 percent defense rate—she will have a distinct advantage in the striking exchanges. However, Ricci's veteran savvy and experience in deep waters make her a dangerous test for any rising star.[4][5]

The high-stakes strawweight encounter adds significant depth to the UFC's return to Oklahoma City, marking the promotion's first event at the Paycom Center in nearly a decade. While the spotlight will undoubtedly shine on the middleweight main event between Du Plessis and Usman, the Ricci-Kline bout carries massive implications for the future of the 115-pound division. A victory for Ricci proves she remains a fixture in the elite tier, while a win for Kline would officially crown her as the division's next legitimate title threat. As Ribas begins her road to recovery, the strawweight division marches on, promising fireworks on July 18.[1][2][3][4][5]