Amanda Ribas Suspension: Why Did the UFC Ban Her for 2 Years?

For most fighters, UFC is the ultimate proving ground. The promotion has been around for more than three decades and over the course of its existence has built an aura around it. Fighters who take up the sport aspire to compete in the UFC and become champions in Dana White‘s promotion, and strawweight contender Amanda Ribas is no exception to the above notion. 

The Brazilian fighter’s career in the UFC did not get off to the best possible start. The UFC signed Ribas to fight in The Ultimate Fighter 25 finale against Juliana Lima. However, Amanda Ribas suffered a failed drug test that shattered the scheduled fight plan and she had to pay a heavy price for it.

Why was Amanda Ribas banned from the UFC?

Prior to the fight against Juliana Lima, Amanda Ribas tested positive for traces of Ostarine. For the unversed, ostarine binds the androgen receptors in an athlete’s body, which are nothing more than components of protein, to build muscle mass. As a result, the UFC scrapped the Brazilian fighter from the card for the anti-doping violation.

In May 2019 the USADA released a statement saying that they were ending Ribas’ two-year suspension. Ribas was one of the few fighters banned for trace amounts of ostarine. And the USADA cleared her after they deemed it to be consistent with supplement contamination.

Amanda Ribas would open up on the failed drug test, claiming that she didn’t consume the substance with any intentions to cheat because she wasn’t aware of it. However, she had to abide by the verdict of USADA, who handed the Brazilian a two-year ban that led to her UFC debut’s delay. 

Years after the doping fiasco, Amanda Ribas would open up on her predicament, and guess what? The time away from action wasn’t as bad as she thought it would be. Why? Well, let’s hear it from herself.

Amanda Ribas’ comments on the UFC suspension

Having a blemish like a drug test failure is never something that fighters would like to have on their record, and understandably, it was a depressing time for Amanda Ribas. However, the 31-year-old was successful in turning a tedious period of having to stay away from action into a positive and focussed making her UFC debut worthwhile. The ban period gave Ribas time to prepare much better for her eventual debut in 2019, and her family played a significant part in this part.

While speaking about the suspension, she said, “Those two years were the worst part of my life… But my friends and family helped me overcome the depression, and they put me on top again,” in an interview with ‘Sportstar’ earlier this year. “Training-wise, I understood what is required to perform at the UFC. I gained a lot of knowledge about the UFC during those two years… So yeah, the break helped me.”

Amanda Ribas now faces a familiar foe in a rematch as she looks to get back to the winning column. Meanwhile, her opponent, Mackenzie Dern would look to continue her momentum and avenge her loss to her fellow Brazilian counterpart back in 2019. Let us know your thoughts on the upcoming fight at UFC Vegas 101 in the comments down below.