July 16, 2026, 9:20 p.m. ET
Tabatha Ricci knows Fatima Kline hasn’t competed with the upper echelon of the UFC strawweight division, but that doesn’t mean she’s taking her lightly.
At UFC Fight Night 281, Ricci (12-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) fights Kline (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in an important 115-pound bout. The event takes place Saturday at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. (Paramount+).
“I knew her (when her name was offered),” Ricci said Wednesday at a pre-fight news conference (h/t Cageside Press). “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.”
A former CFFC champion, Kline often utilizes her length to keep opponents at bay and for submission threats on the ground. Although she will be giving up five inches of height and six inches of reach, Ricci says vertical and horizontal challenges are nothing new for her.
“I’m always the smallest one, so I’m used to training with people who are taller than me,” Ricci 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.”
