William Tackett vs. Manuel Ribamar Announced for Fight to Win 166
Fight to Win 166 on March 13 is just a few weeks away. A high-level no-gi match has already been announced for the event, as William Tackett will square off with Manuel Ribamar. The announcement was made via Tackett’s Instagram.
Tackett is just 19-years old and already one of grappling’s hottest prospects. He was an IBJJF no-gi world champion as a blue belt and impressed at the 2019 ADCC West Coast Trials with a second-place finish.
Tackett has found success in no-gi competitions like Who’s Number One, Sub Spectrum, Submission Underground, and Fight to Win. In 2020 alone, Tackett earned wins over Andrew Wiltse, Gabriel Checco, and Tex Johnson, among others. He most recently competed at Fight to Win 160, defeating John Combs by decision.
Ribamar is eight years older than Tackett and is the more accomplished grappler on paper. He was a 2019 IBJJF no-gi world champion and a 2020 European Open champion. Ribamar doesn’t just stick to IBJJF competition, though. He has competed numerous times under the Fight to Win banner, and recently picked up a big win over Dante Leon at Fight to Win 164.
Even though Ribamar is still very much in his athletic prime, this feels like a match-up of new versus old, as Tackett will be taking on a long-established black belt competitor. This, of course, is nothing new for Tackett, who has jumped head first into the deep waters of competitive grappling.
Fight to Win 166 takes place on March 13, 2021 and will air live on Flo Grappling.
