Kline targets UFC strawweight title picture with finish over Ribas at Oklahoma City

Fatima Kline has set her sights on the UFC strawweight title picture, declaring that a finish over Amanda Ribas at UFC Oklahoma City on July 18 would place her firmly among the division’s elite contenders.

“I want to finish Amanda… Finishing Amanda puts me very close [to the title],” Kline told Home of Fight. “I know Tatiana [Suarez] just won her fight, I know Gillian Robertson just won her fight. This division is wide open for me to take it and run with it. And that’s exactly what I plan on doing. I really want to get close to the Top 5, and I want to start taking out names and showing people that this is my division.”

Kline enters the bout in strong form. The 25-year-old, nicknamed “The Archangel,” carries a 9-1 professional record and has won three straight since suffering her only career loss — a defeat to Jasmine Jasudavicius in her UFC debut in 2024. Two of those three victories have come by way of finish, underlining the finishing ability she hopes to showcase again in Oklahoma City.

Ribas, by contrast, arrives on a difficult run. The Brazilian veteran holds a 12-7 record but has lost three consecutive bouts, with her last two ending inside the distance. That form makes her a credible measuring stick for Kline’s title ambitions: stopping a former ranked contender emphatically would carry real weight with the matchmakers.

With Suarez and Robertson both picking up recent wins in the strawweight division, the picture at the top remains unsettled. Kline clearly believes the timing is right to make a move, and a dominant performance on July 18 could force the UFC’s hand.