Tabatha Ricci is locked in for a 115-pound showdown with Fatima Kline at UFC Fight Night 281, set for Saturday at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ricci enters the bout with a 12-4 professional MMA record, including 7-4 in the UFC, while Kline brings a 9-1 mark overall and 3-1 in the UFC. Kline is also a former CFFC champion.
Ricci said she was already familiar with Kline when the matchup was offered. "I knew her (when her name was offered)" Ricci said, before explaining how her view of Kline evolved with deeper study. "I watched her fight, but I never paid attention. I have do some deep watching of her and deep studying. ... (Now that I have,) I think she's a great fighter. She took a short notice in her first fight, like me, a weight division up. I've been in her position before. I know how badly she wants to get in the ranks up there. I think she's great. She has amazing kickboxing. She mixes it up good. She shows a lot of takedowns. She has a lot of jiu-jitsu. I think it's going to be a great fight and she's a good opponent. I like to fight fighters who are good."
Kline often uses her length to keep opponents at bay and threaten submissions on the ground, but Ricci says that stylistic challenge is familiar territory. "I'm always the smallest one, so I'm used to training with people who are taller than me," she said. "I have my fight against Amanda. She was taller than me. I'm used to it. I've been training exactly for type of opponent, so I'm confident."
