Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson and Danny Segura

Tabatha Ricci in no hurry for title shot, but knows she’s in contention after UFC on ABC 5

Tabatha Ricci beat Gillian Robertson with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC on ABC 5 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.

Take a look inside the fight with Ricci, who picked up her fourth straight win after a loss in her UFC debut two years ago.

Tabatha Ricci vs. Gillian Robertson

Result: Tabatha Ricci def. Gillian Robertson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Ricci (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), Robertson (12-8 MMA, 9-6 UFC)
Key stats: Ricci outstruck Robertson 101-78 and landed three takedowns.

Ricci on the fight's key moment

Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tabatha Ricci (red gloves) fights Gillian Robertson (blue gloves) in a women strawweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

“Everything went exactly how we planned. I think it was an awesome challenge because nobody called me out before, so I really liked the experience. I think it’s good to have that, too. It’s more motivation. I pay attention to what they were saying after the fight, and I was kind of surprised (ti was a split decision) because I really feel that I won all the rounds.”

Ricci on women's strawweight title contention

Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tabatha Ricci (red gloves) fights Gillian Robertson (blue gloves) in a women strawweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

“I see myself maybe one more year or year and a half. I’m not in a rush I just want to get more cage time, more experience, and climb up. I have, every week, small goals in my life. I just want to get better and try to master all the martial arts as much as I can, and I just add it into this result. I just want to keep fighting.”

Ricci on what she wants next

Jun 24, 2023; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Tabatha Ricci (red gloves) fights Gillian Robertson (blue gloves) in a women strawweight bout during UFC Fight Night at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

“I want people to remember me with my hard work. I think I deserve the attention. I’ve been winning all my fights, so I think I deserve that. It’s not my type to call anybody out, but I would love to be challenged by someone ahead of me in the rankings. Anybody up in the rankings, I would love to have the challenge.”

To hear more from Ricci, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 5.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.