LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (L-R) Mackenzie Dern punches Amanda Ribas of Brazil in a strawweight struggle throughout the UFC Struggle Evening occasion at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Picture by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC through Getty Photographs)
Strawweights Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas met for the second time in the principle occasion of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 101, kicking off 2025 for the promotion.
Whereas the evening was peppered with newcomers and lesser knowns, making the cardboard extra concerning the future, Dern vs. Ribas 2 was very a lot concerning the current. And about how far each athletes had come since their first assembly, which Ribas had claimed through resolution.
Early on, Dern was content material to work on the toes, firing a 1-2 however discovering herself clipped by a Ribas punch in response. Dern blended in kicks to the legs, plus a teep to the midsection. Ribas, in flip, charged ahead, firing a mixture and touchdown no less than as soon as. Loads of motion, loads of motion, however not a number of injury by way of the opening two minutes.
Come the halfway level of spherical one, Dern then dragged the struggle into her wheelhouse, exploding right into a takedown and touchdown it. Ribas, parallel to the fence however a number of toes from it, initially closed her guard, making an attempt to tie Dern up. Dern was not about to be stymied, nonetheless, and located a little bit of house to work, although there was no opening by way of which ti advance. Ribas wasn’t playing in any respect off her again, specializing in protection relatively than permitting Dern to arrange a submission.
It was Ribas getting on high off a takedown early in spherical two, although that was nonetheless a chance for Dern, who labored to safe an arm. Ribas would free the limb, and spend the majority of the spherical on high, avoiding submissions and discovering sufficient house to do some injury. With a couple of minute on the clock, Dern threw up an Omoplata and used it to flee the place. Exhibiting off her elegant jiu-jitsu abilities, Dern then cherished up an inverse crucifix of kinds, briefly tying up each of Ribas’s arms from behind her. Nonetheless, the spherical was a significantly better one for Ribas, who dominated about 4 minutes of it.
Spherical three discovered Ribas getting on high once more, whereas Dern labored to brush off her again. Brazil’s Ribas stayed tight to Dern, limiting the house she needed to work with. Mackenzie lastly accomplished the sweep (utilizing the fence for an help) with a couple of minute left within the body, getting on high. From there, she was capable of transfer to mount, then landed a couple of clubbing blows and latched onto an arm. Time was ticking away, however Ribas couldn’t intestine it out, tapping simply earlier than the clock was about to expire!
The pair at the moment are 1-1 underneath the UFC banner, resulting in the potential of a rubber match down the road.
Official Outcome: Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas by submission (arm-bar), Spherical 3, 4:56
