UFC 251 results: Paige VanZant sends classy message after suffering crushing first-round defeat to Amanda Ribas on Fight Island
Paige VanZant congratulated Amanda Ribas immediately after being submitted during their main card fight at UFC 251 on Fight Island.
The flyweight contender was forced to tap out in the first round during the bout on Yas Island after being taken down and cranked in an arm bar.
As the betting underdog, few will have been surprised to see VanZant lose – but perhaps the manner in which the fight ended will have caught a few people out.
’12 gauge’ is now officially out of contract after fighting her final bout on her UFC deal and confirmed she will be considering her options immediately after the bout.
“Congrats to Amanda on such an amazing performance,” she wrote on Instagram.
“It was truly an honor [sic] to share the octagon with you. As for me, I will rise up as I always do. I can’t wait to see where God takes me next.”
Ribas is now riding a five-fight winning streak, with three of those victories coming by stoppage. After the win, she addressed fighting out of a small town without the camp or resources of a once-heavily hyped prospect like VanZant.
"Thank you to the UFC to give me an opportunity to fight here and do my work," Ribas said after her win. "I think in this fight I proved myself to the world that it doesn't matter who you are or what you are.
“What really matters is what you do with your life."