Amanda Ribas vs. Michelle Waterson reportedly in the works for UFC 257

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is all set to kick-start 2021 in the biggest way possible, courtesy of the UFC 257 pay-per-view. With Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier tipped to fight in a rematch in early 2021, a huge strawweight bout could also be added to the UFC 257 line-up.

According to a report from ESPN's Brett Okamoto, strawweight contenders Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas are reportedly set to cross paths. The pair have seemingly agreed to fight one another at UFC 257 on January 23rd.

Here is the report from Brett Okamoto:

UFC working on a fun one at 115 pounds ... Michelle Waterson (@karatehottiemma) vs. Amanda Ribas (@amandaribasufc) is nearly finalized for UFC 257 on Jan. 23, per sources. pic.twitter.com/pktucjAs3n

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 3, 2020

Michelle Waterson will be looking to end Ribas' winning streak in UFC

Since signing with the UFC, Amanda Ribas has been highly impressive inside the Octagon. Heading into a potential fight against Michelle Waterson, the Brazilian sensation will aim to keep her five-fight winning streak alive. After joining UFC, Ribas has defeated Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos, and dispatched Paige VanZant in her last fight for the promotion.

Karate Hottie, on the other hand, got back to winning ways recently with a Fight of the Night performance over Angela Hill. Michelle Waterson's victory in September means that she has now won four of her last six Octagon outings.

While the Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier rematch is rumoured to take place in this card, the fight is yet to be officially confirmed. The UFC 257 line-up also includes a fight between Joanne Calderwood, who will look to get back on winning terms against Jessica Eye.

As things stand, UFC is yet to officially confirm the strawweight fight between Amanda Ribas and Michelle Waterson. However, judging by the report from ESPN, it seems only like a matter of days before the fight officially gets announced for early 2021. The fight could have huge implications on the flyweight division and might even be considered as a fight between future contenders. Waterson will be looking to establish her title credentials by taking away the winning streak of Ribas.