Amanda Ribas Recounts Recent Encounter with Stalker: ‘He Insisted I Was His Wife’

Being a professional athlete comes with its own set of challenges, especially when it comes to dealing with public attention. UFC contender Amanda Ribas, who has been part of the MMA scene for over five years. Recently experienced an unsettling encounter ahead of her fight at UFC Vegas 89.

Upon arriving in Las Vegas, Ribas was approached by an alleged Ukrainian man who claimed to have met her during UFC 251 fight week. He exhibited persistent behavior, expressing his admiration for Ribas and even attempting to gain access to her hotel room.

Ribas described the encounter, stating, “He kept screaming, ‘Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.’ That same day, the guy at the front desk called my room and said, ‘Amanda, Alex is here wanting to go upstairs.’ Except that Alex is the name of my manager. I said, ‘Hey, the sensei is here now’. He went and said a crazy last name, I said, ‘I don’t know.’ I thought that was kind of weird.”

The situation escalated when the man continued to pursue Ribas throughout the week. Even managing to enter the UFC Performance Institute, where he claimed that Ribas was his wife.

In response to the escalating situation, UFC security ensured Ribas’ safety by providing her with around-the-clock protection. Despite the ordeal, Ribas maintained her positive attitude, finding humor in the unusual circumstances.

Reflecting on the incident, Ribas joked, “To finish this week that I started single, I went ‘dating,’ I got ‘engaged’ and ‘married,’ I ‘separated,’ too. Because they researched and saw that he had posted on his social networks that he is traveling to another city, that we were separated, but that he wished me all the luck in the world. It was the most unexpected ‘relationship’ I’ve ever had.”

Despite the distraction, Ribas remained focused on her fight at UFC Vegas 89, where she faced former strawweight champion Namajunas but came up short via a unanimous decision. Nevertheless, Ribas’ resilience and positive outlook continue to shine through, highlighting her strength both inside and outside the Octagon.