Tabatha Ricci looks to continue her rise up the strawweight rankings, a mission that continued through UFC Abu Dhabi, where she rebounded from her previous outing with an impressive finish of Amanda Ribas during the preliminary card.
Ricci and Ribas traded quick punches early on, and Ricci found success by working the clinch during the opening frame. Both also looked for grappling success, with Ribas connecting on a couple of trips, while also landing some noteworthy strikes. Ricci, meanwhile, pressured with her own takedown attempts.
Ricci was able to put things away in the second round, a round she came out aggressive in once again. Ricci landed a series of elbows before taking Ribas down and landing a flurry of ground-and-pound until the referee stepped in.
Tabatha Ricci Finishes Amanda Ribas At UFC Abu Dhabi
Elle retrouve le chemin de la victoire đ„ @TabathaRicci s'impose par TKO au deuxiĂšme round
Amanda Ribas suffered a loss in the first UFC main event of the year this past Saturday night at the Apex in Las Vegas. The 31-year old was looking to return to strawweight with a big win against an opponent that she has got the better of once before.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be as the #8-ranked contender was beaten by the #6-ranked Mackenzie Dern. Having handed Dern the first loss of her MMA career back in 2019, the jiu-jitsu specialist evened the score by becoming the first person to submit Ribas in her 19-fight pro career.
Ribas has got some big wins under her belt with victories over the likes of Dern, Virna Jandiroba, Viviane Araujo and Luana Pinheiro but she has struggled to beat the top contenders. After fighting three times in 2023 where she picked up wins on either side of a loss to Maycee Barber, she only fought once last year in a five-round defeat to Rose Namajunas at 125-pounds.
Despite this latest setback, the Brazilian appears to be in good spirits following her first outing of the new year. She posted a simple message on Instagram to stay connected to her fans and supporters even though she didn’t get her hand raised at UFC Vegas 101.
“Off to the next one! Thanks to all the support, messages and barbecues that you’ve done”
Mackenzie Dern secured an impressive victory at UFC Vegas 101 on Saturday night, submitting Amanda Ribas in the third round of the main event.
The win improved Dernâs UFC record to 11-5 and marked a strong step forward in her career resurgence. Despite her momentum, though, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist emphasized that she isnât rushing toward a title shot.
Instead, the strawweight contender is focused on continued growth to ensure long-term success when she eventually claims the belt.
âI think Iâm very hard on myself,â Dern told reporters at the post-fight news conference. âIâm always trying to get better. Even when I have a great performance, I think I did so many things wrong. I think itâs a lot of play messing in your head, so it can take your journey and maybe make it a little longer. But I think in the end, it really helps you evolve to be the best fighter possible if you can really look back and have constructive criticism on yourself.
âMy idea isnât to go fight for the belt and then lose it fast. My idea is to get the belt, and I want to be a dominant champion. Iâm not in a rush to get there. I want to have good fights and I want to make a statement.â
UFC Womenâs Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili is scheduled to defend her title against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in February. Dern, meanwhile, continues to rebuild her path to contention after rebounding from back-to-back losses to Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos.
Before her latest win, Dern earned a decision victory over Loopy Godinez in August, showcasing her improved all-around game.
With her focus on gradual improvement, Dern remains determined to evolve into a fighter capable of not just winning the title, but holding it for an extended reign.
Back in October 2019, Mackenzie Dern was matched up with Amanda Ribas for her third UFC fight. After a 7-0 start in MMA, the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner was handed her first taste of defeat at Ribas’ hands, dropping a decision in Tampa.
Just over five years later, she can now say that she avenged that loss after submitting Ribas in the main event of UFC Vegas 101.
The Brazilian ranked strawweight and flyweight was able to land some sharp elbows early. But Dern, the grappling specialist, was able to get Ribas on the ground for over half of the first round. During that time, she brought down some effective ground-and-pound.
Ribas worked her way back to the feet late in the first and then had more activity in a quiet second round. Dern, however, brought the action back to the ground in the third frame and locked up a classic, late armbar to score the submission.
In doing so, the elite BJJ artist became the first to ever submit Ribas inside the cage.
ARMBAR! There's the danger of Mackenzie Dern… Damn. She gets redemption on her first career loss to Ribas and her first submission in four years. Big win for the BJJ ace.
MacKenzie Dern's best MMA submission by a country mile. My hat is off to her. What a sweep, what an adjustment, what an armbar đđ„ pic.twitter.com/56T3eB7xZ4
UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!Â
In the main event, top-ten strawweights (#6) Mackenzie Dern and (#8) Amanda Ribas clashed. While in the co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio faced Carlston Harris in a welterweight matchup.Â
The main event presents an opportunity for strawweight Mackenzie Dern to avenge the first loss of her professional career from back in 2019. She’s set to open her year against a former opponent and fellow top 10 contender in Amanda Ribas.
Before that, the likes of welterweight veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio, ranked middleweight Chris Curtis, and knockout artist Abdul Razak Alhassan will all be in action.
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2 Weigh-In Results
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas takes place on Saturday, January 11, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!
Main Card:
Women’s Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern (116lbs) vs. Amanda Ribas (116lbs)
Welterweight: Santiago Ponzinibbio (171lbs) vs. Carlston Harris (170lbs)
The UFC kicks off its schedule for 2025 Saturday night at the Apex, where strawweight contenders Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas will run it back.
After a break from staging events over the festive period and first week of the new year, the mixed martial arts leader is back in action this weekend, with a host of prospects, veterans, and contenders looking to begin their campaigns in 2025 on the right foot.
And the main event presents an opportunity for Dern to avenge the first defeat of her professional career from back in 2019, when the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist was comfortably outpointed by Ribas in Tampa, Florida.
Off the back of a victory over Loopy Godinez in Abu Dhabi that snapped her first losing skid last August, the #6-ranked Dern will look to keep her ball rolling on Jan. 11. But one former fighter-turned-UFC color commentator is favoring her opponent to spoil those plans.
During a recent episode of Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, Paul Felder broke down why he gives the edge to the lower-ranked Ribas in Saturday’s headliner.
“At this moment, I’m leaning towards Amanda Ribas. I just think she’s a bit more of a versatile striker on the feet, uses more weapons,” Felder said. “Coming off that five-round fight with Rose (Namajunas), she’s got a lot of experience with other good strikers and people that are well-rounded.
“I think if it gets to the ground, she’s good enough with her defense to avoid any kind of crazy submission (from Dern),” Felder continued. “So I’m going for Ribas, probably by decision.”
Ribas, who has a number next to her name at both 115 and 125 pounds, was most recently in action last March when she battled former two-time strawweight queen Rose Namajunas in a flyweight main event.
A few months on from a memorable knockout win over Luana Pinheiro, the Brazilian’s habit of exchanging wins and losses continued, with “Thug Rose” securing the nod on all three scorecards.
Topping the lineup will be top 10 strawweight contenders Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas, with the former looking to avenge the first defeat of her professional career from back in 2019.
Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see two veterans collide in Santiago Ponzinibbio and Carlston Harris. And also set to make the walk on Saturday will be the likes of Chris Curtis, Abdul Razak Alhassan, and Christian Rodriguez
UFC Vegas 101: Dern vs. Ribas 2 Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC Vegas 101 (as of 1/6), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Mackenzie Dern (+180) vs. Amanda Ribas (-218)
Santiago Ponzinibbio (-110) vs. Carlston Harris (-110)
UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern’s next fight will no longer be a year-ending clash in Tampa â it’ll be a year-opening assignment in Las Vegas.
But the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist successfully avoided the first three-fight losing skid of her career, outpointing Loopy Godinez to return to winning ways. And Dern initially looked set for the chance to end the year on a streak.
She was booked for the opportunity to avenge her first professional defeat in a rematch with Amanda Ribas (13-5) at the UFC Fight Night in Tampa next weekend. The Brazilian is currently ranked two places below Dern at #8.
Per MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin, however, that second dance has been pushed back and will instead now top the lineup for UFC Vegas 101 at the Apex on Jan. 11.
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The first UFC main event of 2025 will be Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas, per sources.
For Ribas, the rematch will mark her return to 115 pounds after suffering defeat to Rose Namajunas last time out at flyweight, another division in which she occupies a spot inside the top 10.
In her last appearance as a strawweight, the 31-year-old stopped Luana Pinheiro in highlight reel fashion with a late spinning wheel kick. She’s riding back-to-back wins in the weight class, having previously got the better of a top-five contender in Virna Jandiroba.
With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC Vegas 101 on Jan. 11 are as follows:
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas (women’s strawweight main event)
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov (middleweight)
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris (welterweight)
There is an interesting flyweight bout between Katlyn Chookagian and Amanda Ribas in the works.
UFC events for the spring are beginning to fill up quickly. One event, in particular, that will not be a pay-per-view event is the one being held on May 14. The location and main event for this event are not yet known, but a few fights have been released.
Originally, the bout between Miesha Tate and Lauren Murphy was to be the headliner, but that bout was moved to a later date. However, a very intriguing matchup between former title contender Katlyn Chookagian and rising star Amanda Ribas will be on this card. The news was first reported by Raphael Marinho of Combate.com.
Chookagian is coming into this matchup having won her last three in a row. Since losing her title shot to champion Valentina Shevchenko, Chookagian has gone 4-1 in the division. She is still sitting in the number two spot of the flyweight rankings. Following her last fight against Jennifer Maia, Chookagian announced that the UFC had not offered her a new contract at that point and she would have gone to free agency. It seems she was able to rework the terms and is now back in the heart of the division.
Ribas is currently sitting in the number nine spot of the strawweight rankings, but a with over Chookagian will no most likely place her in the top ten or five of the flyweight rankings.
The entire fight card announced to this point for May 14 is as follows:
Women’s Flyweight bout: Viviane AraĂșjo vs. Andrea Lee
Welterweight bout: Frank Camacho vs. Manuel Torres
Featherweight bout: Daniel Pineda vs. Jamall Emmers
UFC strawweight contender Michelle Waterson has to withdraw from her upcoming fight against Amanda Ribas due to a serious injury.
Waterson was supposed to face Ribas on the upcoming UFC 274 card before suffering an injury in her camp. The details of the injury aren’t, clear and it’s also uncertain if she’ll require surgery.
âIâm hoping, keeping my fingers crossed that it is a short break,â Waterson said. âItâs an injury that stopped me from training, and itâs heartbreaking. I was really excited to fight Amanda. I know she was very excited to fight, as well, so hopefully itâs a fight that we can still have. But if I donât take care of this injury, it will turn into something that can be worse and career ending.â (h/t Yahoo Sports)
After getting word of Waterson’s withdrawal, Ribas posted a comment on the Instagram video in support of her originally scheduled opponent.
“Heyy Michelle!” Ribas said. “Good recovery for you. Hope we can reschedule soon.”
Waterson has lost three of her last four fights and has had four different fights canceled since early 2020. She fell to Marina Rodriguez via unanimous decision in a flyweight headliner last May.
What is your reaction to Michelle Waterson’s potentially career-ending injury?
UFC strawweight contender Amanda Ribas has suggested something may have been wrong with featherweight champion Amanda Nunes prior to her shocking defeat at UFC 269.
Ahead of the final pay-per-view of 2021, Nunes reigned over two divisions, hadn’t lost since 2014, was riding a 12-fight win streak, and had cemented her place as the female MMA GOAT in the eye of most.
With those accolades in mind, she was expected to close the year out with a comfortable bantamweight title defense against Julianna Peña. What occurred in Las Vegas on December 11 was far from comfortable for “The Lioness.”
Proving that her fight week confidence and self-belief hadn’t been misplaced, and proving most fans and pundits wrong, Peña executed her strategy to perfection, tiring Nunes out on the feet and choking her out on the ground. The result will forever be seen as one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
During the latest episode of MMA Fightingâs Portuguese-language podcast Trocação Franca, Ribas compared Nunes’ disappointing defeat to her own setback opposite Marina Rodriguez earlier in the year. Despite feeling prepared and good to go, something felt off on the night, a phenomenon she believes could have hit “The Lioness” at UFC 269.
âMaybe she had sinusitis and nobody knew,â Ribas said. âImagine getting punched in the face and when you see it, wow. Nobody knows. Maybe she didnât recover well from her weight cut. I havenât spoken with her so I donât know. Nobody knows what happened that day.
âIn my opinion, I thought she looked a little, I donât know, kind of the same way I was in my fight with Marina [Rodriguez]. I was fine, I was prepared, but [wasnât 100 percent there]. And sometimes the Venezuelan was more active, wanted it more.â
Despite admitting the loss was difficult for her to accept as a fan and teammate of Nunes, Ribas expects the reigning featherweight titleholder to bounce back in 2022 and reclaim the bantamweight belt from “The Venezuelan Vixen.”
âIt was complicated,â she said of her reaction to Nunesâ UFC 269 loss. âI have Amanda at the top, like no oneâs getting near her and sheâll beat everybody. To me, sheâs very smart in her game and has an extraordinary mind for the fight, so itâs hard to accept when she lost.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CXbl4W_PS62/
âMaybe sheâll accept the loss better than me, as a fan. But nobody knows how she was [feeling] that day. Maybe she didnât perform that day. Nobody knows whatâs going on. It was sad, but I know sheâll bounce back. Sheâs still the [featherweight] champion. Sheâs only lost one belt and Iâm sure she will reclaim it. [Peña] said sheâll give her an immediate rematch, and I canât wait for it.â (h/t MMA Fighting)
Showing that her motivation and toughest hasn’t dwindled, Nunes was quick to accept. “The Lioness” will no doubt be returning to the Octagon with extra fire and hunger in 2022.
Do you think Amanda Nunes will reclaim the bantamweight gold if she runs it back with Julianna Peña in 2022?
Michelle Waterson and Amanda Ribas will finally be sharing the Octagon with one another.
Waterson and Ribas were booked to fight one another at UFC 257 in January on Fight Island but “The Karate Hottie” was forced out of the bout. Since then, Ribas has called her out a few times and now according to MMAFighting, they will fight one another on a Fight Night card on March 26. The location of the event has not been announced.
Michelle Waterson (18-9) is coming off a decision loss to Marina Rodriguez back in May, which served as the main event of the card. Prior to that, she earned a split decision win over Angela Hill which was also the main event. The victory snapped her two-fight losing skid after dropping a split decision to Carla Esparza and a five-round main event decision loss to Joanna JÄdrzejczyk.
Waterson is currently ranked ninth at strawweight and does hold notable wins over Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Paige VanZant, Jessica Penne, and Cortney Casey among others.
Amanda Ribas (11-2) returned to the win column back at UFC 267 as she earned a hard-fought decision win over Virna Jandiroba. In the fight prior, she was knocked out by Marina Rodriguez, who took the fight on short notice after Waterson was forced out of the scrap. The Brazilian is ranked 10th and started her UFC career out 4-0 with wins over Mackenzie Dern, Paige VanZant, Randa Markos, and Emily Whitmire.
Currently, only two fights are official on the March 26 card which sees Jan Blachowicz take on Aleksandar Rakic in the main event at light heavyweight. Sara McMann will also battle Karol Rosa.
Who do you think will win, Michelle Waterson or Amanda Ribas?
