With Paige VanZant out, it’s Randa Markos heading to Brazil to take on Amanda Ribas at UFC Brasilia.
Paige VanZant will not be making the trip to Brazil this March. But Canada’s Randa Markos will. Combate was first to report that ‘PVZ’ had dropped out of her fight with Amanda Ribas at UFC Brasilia, the promotion’s first trip to Brazil in 2020. VanZant has been replaced by Markos, who will look to win two straight fights for the first time in her UFC career.
VanZant (8-4) has struggled to stay active, missing all of 2017 and fighting just once in both 2018 and 2019. A nagging arm injury, and activities outside of fighting are responsible for the bulk of that time away. The reason from her UFC Brasilia withdrawal, however, has yet to be announced.
In the meantime, strawweight Markos (10-7-1) will step up on relatively short notice to take on Ribas. The Canadian is coming off a win over Ashley Yoder at UFC Singapore last October. Markos has been quite a world traveler during her stint with the UFC, competing at home in Canada, all over the U.S., as well as in Singapore and Brazil. She last competed in Brazil in September 2018, fighting to a draw with Marina Rodriguez.
Amanda Ribas (8-1) will be looking to build off a pair of wins over Emily Whitmire and Mackenzie Dern in 2019.
UFC Brasilia (UFC Fight Night 170) takes place March 14, 2020 at the Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil. The card is headlined by lightweights Kevin Lee and Charles Oliveira. Currently scheduled are the following match-ups:
Kevin Lee vs. Charles Oliveira
Demian Maia vs. Gilbert Burns
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Alexey Kunchenko
Johnny Walker vs. Nikita Krylov
Jussier Formiga vs. Brandon Moreno
Rani Yahya vs. Enrique Barzola
Bruno Gustavo da Silva vs. Su Mudaerji
Maryna Moroz vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Francisco Trinaldo vs. John Makdessi
Veronica Macedo vs. Bea Malecki
Renato Moicano vs. Damir Hadžović
Randa Markos vs. Amanda Ribas
