It’s not uncommon to see athletes from different disciplines, like bodybuilders, trying to spar playfully with UFC fighters. While bodybuilders are often much larger, when it comes to actual fighting, size isn’t always an advantage. Recently, UFC women’s flyweight Amanda Ribas demonstrated this perfectly, showing that skill can easily outshine sheer size.
Amanda Ribas’s UFC career might not be going as consistently as the fighter would like to go. However, when it comes to showing her skills against big bodybuilders, Ribas has done pretty well for herself. Recently, she collaborated with Brazilian bodybuilder Julio Balestrin for a fun video.
The session started with casual pad work, but then Balestrin made the questionable decision to try to go against Ribas in a grappling exchange. Initially, Ribas kept her distance with her trademark laughing face. However, when Balestrin charged at her, she used that momentum to slam the bodybuilder on the mat. It left the bodybuilder with a black eye and swelling in his left eye.
125 pound UFC fighter Amanda Ribas slammed a professional bodybuilder on his face 😯 pic.twitter.com/JTq6WcrDiR
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 14, 2024
This isn’t the first time a bodybuilder has faced the harsh reality of underestimating a trained fighter. Previously, well-known fitness influencer Bradley Martyn found himself in a similar situation when he challenged UFC fighters. He believed his 260-pound frame would give him an edge. While size might play a role in an ordinary street fight, it’s a completely different story when facing professional fighters.
Former UFC champion suggests ways to beat bigger opponents
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and submission grappling allow smaller fighters to defeat bigger opponents by using leverage, positioning, and technique. Instead of relying on strength, they control larger opponents, exploiting weaknesses to apply joint locks or chokes. This strategy neutralizes size advantages, proving effective in both MMA and self-defense.
In a recent YouTube video, former UFC champion and one of the all-time greatest, Demetrious Johnson, talked about this in detail. He also gave a game plan against much bigger opponents, for example, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. According to DJ, grappling, if done right, is the solution for everything.
The beautiful thing that I love about grappling is that it’s such a strong suit where you can take the best strikers in the world and put them on their back and they are like what is going on…If Dwyane Johnson is on top of me and he laid on me. I can be always rotate him and do what I want(ground and pound).
Demetrius Johnson via Fight Tips
Johnson has also proved his theory against way bigger opponents in BJJ tournaments. Recently, the retired fighter was able to submit a 250-pound opponent by using his incredible grappling skills.
