Las Vegas, NV — Brazilian strawweight Tabatha Ricci was both “honored” to fight on the massive UFC 285 card on Saturday, and “very happy” with her performance in the cage.
Speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press following her fight, Ricci (8-1), a.k.a. “Baby Shark” said that she’s “been working very hard” to get the sort of result she saw against Jessica Penne on Saturday night. “It was a lot of work, actually, so I’m just grateful to have the team that I have and to be able to execute everything I’ve been working on.”
“It was great to share the cage with her,” Ricci said in regards to her opponent. Penne challenged for the UFC’s strawweight championship in 2015, falling short to then-champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Despite Penne’s higher profile and experience, however, Ricci treated her the same as any other opponent.
“I don’t treat [her] different, I just followed the game plan. I just wanted to fight her because I know that she started the division and she fought big names. I think it was awesome for me to share the cage with somebody very experienced, that has a lot more fights than me. For me, it was a challenge, for me to test myself, and share the cage with someone that has a lot more experience that me.”
Following her submission of Penne at UFC 285, Ricci believes she should wind up with a number next to her name. “I just had a goal since last year to be ranked. I think now I deserve [that], since I got three wins straight, especially over Jessica.” In terms of an opponent, “I don’t have no names in specific. Whatever my manager says it going to be good for me. Just waiting for the call. I’m ready, that’s my lifestyle. That’s what I do every day. I love what I do. I just can’t wait to go back to the gym.”
Ricci may just get her wish of being ranked, after becoming the first fighter to submit Jessica Penne in the UFC on Saturday.
Watch the full UFC 285 post-fight press conference with Tabatha Ricci above.
