Amanda Rivas is making a return to the strawweight division after two years, facing off against Luana Pinheiro at UFC Vegas 82 this Saturday. She used an intense analogy to describe her strict weight loss regimen.
Rivas has been competing at flyweight for the past 24 months, weighing 10 pounds over the limit she needs to reach for the Vegas fight. She humorously mentioned that she would be “better fed” as a flyweight on the Trocassant Franca podcast.
Despite the challenges, she sees value in the hardship.
“My father once told me that to train dogs for fighting, he had to starve them and make them thirst for blood. It’s kind of like that when we cut weight, you know? I see food everywhere [laughs],” Rivas explained.
She added, “You can always smell blood when you’re training. When I’m off the leash, hungry, and strong, I go for the kill. The more rigorously I cut weight, the more focused and hungry I become to win, as long as it’s done in a healthy way.”
The talented 30-year-old’s last strawweight bout resulted in a decision win over Vilna Jandilova in October 2021. If she beats Piñeiro, she plans to face Yang Xiaonan or Carla Esparza in 2024, but remains open to future flyweight fights.
Rivas stated, “If a good opportunity arises, I will definitely move to flyweight.” She also hinted at the possibility of coming back to face Rhonda Rousey, stating, “I’ll go back…you’ll gain weight because of it, no problem [laughs].”
Rivas aims to recover from a TKO loss to Macy Barber, which led to surgery for a fractured orbit. She is determined to make Piñeiro pay for the inconveniences and protect her dreams and achievements at UFC APEX on Saturday night.
“I think she might try to fight with me, but I also think she’s going to try to beat me,” Rivas shared her thoughts on Pinheiro, with whom she has a showdown at UFC Vegas 82. . “She’s done all that in her other matches and given her all to go for the takedown, so I think she might try it again.”
