Tabatha Ricci opened up about her life on the farm, her aspirations for a title shot, and a potential matchup with Kline ahead of UFC Oklahoma City. The Brazilian strawweight remains focused on climbing the rankings.
Tabatha Ricci spoke candidly ahead of UFC Oklahoma City about her life away from the sport, her ambitions in the strawweight division, and a potential bout with Kline on the horizon.
Ricci, known as "Baby Shark," enters the event ranked tenth in the women's strawweight division with a professional record of 12-4. The 31-year-old Brazilian trains out of Brazilian Thai and brings a well-rounded skill set to the cage. Fighting out of an orthodox stance, she stands five-foot-one with a 61-inch reach and has built her reputation on consistent pressure and a strong grappling game. She averages 2.51 takedowns per 15 minutes, complementing a striking output of four significant strikes per minute.
In the interview, Ricci discussed balancing farm life with her combat sports career, a detail that adds an unusual dimension to her profile ahead of a significant fight week. She also made clear her ambitions to climb toward a title shot, signaling that her sights are firmly set on the top of the 115-pound division.
Why it matters
- Ricci sits at number ten in the strawweight rankings, meaning a strong performance against Kline could push her firmly into title contention conversations.
- Her grappling-heavy approach, averaging more than two and a half takedowns per 15 minutes, sets up an interesting stylistic test depending on Kline's defensive wrestling.
- A win at UFC Oklahoma City would mark a significant step forward for the Brazilian as she looks to close the gap on the division's elite.
