Well, that didn’t take long. It has been less than a week since Amanda Ribas was flagged for a potential USADA violation. Now, the UFC has found a replacement for her fight against Juliana Lima at the TUF 25 finale. Stepping in to replace Ribas will be top-ranked strawweight fighter Tecia Torres. The Las Vegas Review-Journal was the first to report the news, which was confirmed by UFC officials.
“The Tiny Tornado” Torres (8-1) bounced back into the win column in February with a win over Bec Rawlings at UFC Fight Night 104: Bermudez vs. Korean Zombie. That was her first fight back since an April 2016 loss to Rose Namajunas, who may very well be the next fighter to get a shot at champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Juliana Lima (9-3) has gone 3-1 in the UFC since her debut loss against Jedrzejczyk, prior to the Polish fighter earning her belt and the name Joanna Champion. Last time out, she scored a decision victory over J.J. Aldrich at UFC Fight Night 102.
The Ultimate Fighter 25 finale takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 7. Michael Johnson welcomes promotional newcomer and former WSOF champ Justin Gaethje to UFC in the main event of the TUF 25 finale.
