Is Amanda Ribas Brazilian? All About the UFC Star’s Ethnicity, Nationality and Religion

7th-ranked strawweight fighter Amanda Ribas will return to action when she takes on Mackenzie Dern in a rematch in the first Fight Night event next year, UFC Vegas 101. Coming off a loss against former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas, the Brazilian fighter will seek to start 2025 on a winning note. But before the fight happens on January 11, let’s explore Ribas’ background, focusing on her nationality and ethnicity.

Amanda Ribas has built a pretty stellar reputation for herself since joining the UFC in 2019. Her four-fight winning streak at the start of her UFC career proved her mettle to the UFC fandom. As she prepares to return to the cage this weekend, let us take a closer look at her roots.

Where is Amanda Ribas from? Ethnicity and nationality

Amanda Ribas is one of the many UFC fighters on the roster who hail from Brazil. She was born in the municipality of Varginha, located in the southwestern part of the Minas Gerais state. Ribas’s hometown is known for being one of the major centers for commerce and the production of coffee in Brazil. Her journey in fighting started with her father, Marcelo Ribas, who is a martial arts instructor.

The 30-year-old was introduced to martial arts when she was in her younger years. As a child, she started learning judo but was sidelined due to knee injuries that forced her out of grappling competitions. However, some of Amanda Ribas’ teammates were training in MMA, and she drew inspiration from them to later embrace competition again, but in a different sport. We now know about her nationality and the origins of her martial arts training, so let’s take a look at Ribas’ ethnic background and what religion she follows.

What religion does Amanda Ribas follow?

Like many South Americans, Amanda Ribas comes from a Latino background of native Brazilian descent. The former IMMAF World Champion follows the most common religion practiced in her native country, Christianity. Ribas’ parents and her two siblings, a brother and a sister, are all devout Christians. She’s even mentioned on her Instagram profile that for her, it’s “GOD First.”

Amanda Ribas was initially set to make her UFC debut in 2017. However, she was handed a two-year suspension, which postponed her debut in the Dana White-led promotion to 2019 after USADA terminated her suspension over tainted supplements. Ribas eventually made her way to UFC only to impress the boss and the fans with some stellar performances.

Amanda Ribas has struggled to maintain her winning ways in recent times. In her last 6 fights, the Brazilian has won three and lost three. It will be important for Ribas to start next year with a win, as Mackenzie Dern will be coming into the fight with a win under her belt. The future of the strawweight division could depend on how things pan out on January 11.

What do you think of Amanda Ribas’ journey up until this point? Let us know in the comments down below.