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Tag: UFC Vegas 101

  • Chael Sonnen Doesn’t Hold Back In Criticism Of Mackenzie Dern: ‘So Unaware Of The Sport…’

    Chael Sonnen Doesn’t Hold Back In Criticism Of Mackenzie Dern: ‘So Unaware Of The Sport…’

    Chael Sonnen often finds it frustrating when fighters do not capitalize on the moment by making the most out of their time in the spotlight. As one of the greatest talkers in the history of the sport, “The Bad Guy” was recently critical of one athlete in particular for this side of their personality and public persona.

    Mackenzie Dern came out on top in the first UFC main event of 2025 when she avenged her loss to Amanda Ribas this past weekend. It was an important win for the #6-ranked contender who, with an armbar in the third round, became the first person to submit Brazil’s Ribas in her pro career.

    When she was handed the floor in her post-fight interview, Dern spoke about wanting to add to her submission record as she shared the cage with her young daughter. When the conversation turned to what target she is pursuing next, the 31-year old said that her main focus is on building momentum by getting another win under her belt and whilst she would prefer to fight an opponent that is ranked higher than her, she admitted that this might not be possible because she has faced many of the top names in the division in the past.

    On a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy/Bad Guy alongside Daniel Cormier, Sonnen was fairly negative towards the submission specialist for not placing more emphasis on the entertainment side of the sport by being more assertive.

    “I could not go back over Mackenzie’s career and hand her one compliment on anything she’s done from an entertainment aspect,” Sonnen said. “I couldn’t tell you one time she had a microphone in her hand and turned it into a pipe bomb. I could not tell you one opportunity that she pushed everybody else aside and came and got it for herself.”

    Sonnen believes that whilst she does appear to win fans over, Dern doesn’t do anything intentionally to drive her own stock which he finds baffling.

    “I’ve never seen Mackenzie get it right. Everyone likes her, myself included, everyone seems to be rooting for her for reasons I really can’t explain to you, myself included.

    “She looks like she does really care about this sport. She talks about some of her hardships and things outside the ring which do compel you very much to her, but as far as understanding what makes dollars has got to make sense, she doesn’t know what any of those words mean. I’ve never seen a second-generation athlete so unaware of the sport that’s going on around them.”

  • Eric Nicksick Slams ‘Egomaniac’ Ref Who Stopped Chris Curtis Fight: ‘That Was Some B*tch Sh*t!’ 

    Eric Nicksick Slams ‘Egomaniac’ Ref Who Stopped Chris Curtis Fight: ‘That Was Some B*tch Sh*t!’ 

    Eric Nicksick was not happy with a call that was made in relation to one of his fighters at the first UFC event of the year. This past weekend at the Apex, Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned the first fight of the night bonus of 2025 for their middleweight clash.

    In the final seconds of the back-and-forth battle, Kopylov took Curtis off his feet with a head kick which referee Mark Smith deemed was the end of the fight. He stepped into wave the fight off with just one second left on the clock and his decision was instantly scrutinized by both Curtis and his Xtreme Couture corner.

    Whilst his opponent believes that it was the right call to make, the argument in favor of Curtis is that with the final bell about to sound and his opponent backing off rather than pursuing his opponent, “The Action Man” was in no sense of danger whatsoever. On a recent episode of his Verse Us podcast, Nicksick spoke about how he was frustrated with the referee long before the stoppage for not punishing several fouls which slowed the fight down.

    ”That’s what I’m pissed off about. You never get three timeouts in a f—king fight. So, number one, he spit his mouthpiece out. That wasn’t too bad. All right. Groin strike… Then the eye poke, and I calmly said to Mark, ‘Hey, that is two infractions in a row in this round. Where’s the point?”

    Nicksick went on to talk specifically about the stoppage and goes further than that by talking about Smith’s personality and his issues with the prominent official.

    ”You [Smith] decided to stop the fight with one second left… Let the motherfu*ker go out on his shield bro. That was some b*tch sh*t, you didn’t have to stop the fight on that moment… He fraternizes with other gyms, teams, fighters, coaches and everything else… I think he’s an egomaniac. I mean, I’ve never heard a ref ask people to vote for him for the ‘MMA Ref of the Year.” 

    Nicksick also posted the following statement on Instagram, addressing his reaction to the stoppage and apologizing for his actions.

  • Fighter Who Slapped Coach & Husband After UFC Vegas 101 Loss Apologizes: ‘I Couldn’t Control My Emotions’

    Fighter Who Slapped Coach & Husband After UFC Vegas 101 Loss Apologizes: ‘I Couldn’t Control My Emotions’

    The first UFC event of the year had its fair share of talking points and one of them came in the second bout to take place inside the Octagon in 2025. Victoria Dudakova suffered her second consecutive loss after being stopped in the second round by Fatima Kline at strawweight.

    Rather than Kline delivering the first finish of the new year, it was what happened after the bout that grabbed the headlines. After Dudakova’s corner entered the Octagon to console her in defeat, she appeared to turn around and slap one of her coaches, who is also her husband, as seen below.

    The 25-year old Russian has since posted a message on social media to explain the situation from her point of view. She publicly apologized for her actions, stating that her emotions got the better of her in that moment having been finished for the first time in her 10-fight pro career.

    She posted the following message on Instagram to provide more context and thank her supporters.

    “Emotions have subsided a bit…..First of all, I would like to apologize to my husband and coach. I was hurt that in such a difficult moment, he turned his back on me and didn’t want to come into the cage. That’s no excuse and I’m not looking for an excuse for myself. I did the wrong thing, I couldn’t control my emotions. I set a bad example for the athletes and the younger generation. I also want to apologize to the sports fans. Thank you to everyone who stays with me in such a difficult situation”

  • Mark Smith Bashed by Fighter For Last-Second Chris Curtis Stoppage At UFC Vegas 101: ‘Got To Be The Lowest Graded Ref’

    Mark Smith Bashed by Fighter For Last-Second Chris Curtis Stoppage At UFC Vegas 101: ‘Got To Be The Lowest Graded Ref’

    UFC Vegas 101 brought fight fans the first UFC card of 2025 and with that came the first set of highlight reel finishes, entertaining contests and yes, controversial refereeing decisions. The middleweight clash between Roman Kopylov and Chris Curtis earned the first fight of the night bonus of the year following their back-and-forth encounter on the main card.

    What the fight will likely be remembered for however is the call that Mark Smith made to wave the fight off with just one second left on the clock. Kopylov landed a head kick that knocked Curtis off balance but with the clock running down and his opponent on the floor, the Russian decided to back away rather than chasing his opponent to the ground to land more strikes.

    Despite the fact that Curtis wasn’t in danger of taking any more damage, Smith stepped in and the stoppage was heavily disputed by “The Action Man” in the immediate aftermath. It’s also of note that the fight was tied at 19-19 across all three scorecards heading into the third round which would have been won by Kopylov if the fight had continued for one more second.

    Curtis has since posted a statement on social media where he seemed less frustrated at the ending of the fight though he was still disappointed to have not secured the victory. Kopylov, on the other hand, believes that the official made the right decision, stating in his post-fight press conference that he chose not to follow-up with any more strikes because it wasn’t neccesary and that he’s open to the idea of a rematch if that’s what people want.

    In a post on social media, UFC flyweight Charles Johnson criticized Smith by questioning the consistency of his decision making.

    “Mark smith has got to be the lowest graded ref on roster. Constantly interjects himself and only thing consistent with calls is his inconsistency”

    Some of the replies underneath Johnson’s post made reference to one of his previous fights which was refereed by Smith. In his fight with Sumudaerji last October, he believed that the fight should have been stopped but Smith didn’t step in and it ended up going the distance.

  • Amanda Ribas Gives Short & Sweet Reaction To Mackenzie Dern Loss At UFC Vegas 101

    Amanda Ribas Gives Short & Sweet Reaction To Mackenzie Dern Loss At UFC Vegas 101

    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.

    There were some competitive grappling exchanges between the two women but ultimately, it was the submission skills of Dern that made the difference as she produced a beautiful armbar to earn a quick tap in the third round.

    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”

  • Abdul Razak Alhassan Addresses Scary Knockout At UFC Vegas 101: ‘I Got Greedy…’

    Abdul Razak Alhassan Addresses Scary Knockout At UFC Vegas 101: ‘I Got Greedy…’

    Abdul Razak Alhassan has made his first public remarks following a brutal defeat at this past weekend’s UFC Vegas 101 event.

    The promotion’s first card of 2025 wasn’t short on memorable moments and brutal finishes. Unfortunately for Alhassan, he was on the wrong end of arguably the top one.

    In his main card clash with César Almeida, the Ghanaian powerhouse got off to a strong start, dropping his Brazilian counterpart. But he got slightly too wild chasing the finish.

    After backing Almeida up against the fence, Alhassan was struck with a vicious counterpunch that rendered him unconscious.

    The resulting scene saw the 39-year-old Accra native on wobbly legs after coming to. Thankfully, he appears to have avoided any immediate health issues at UFC Vegas 101 and took to his Instagram Stories to address his supporters.

    “I’m sorry fans,” Alhassan said. “I got greedy and I got caught. No excuses. I’m sorry to my fans, my true fans. I got greedy and went for it and got caught. There’s nothing I can do but cry myself to sleep.”

    Alhassan is now without a win in his last three, having fallen to a submission at the hands of Joe Pyfer in 2023 and had the disappointment of a no contest after striking Cody Brundage to the back of the head last July.

    Almeida, meanwhile, has won two on the bounce since suffering the first loss of his professional career against Roman Kopylov in June 2024.

  • Santiago Ponzinibbio Names Ranked Opponent He’s Targeting For UFC 314 In Miami

    Santiago Ponzinibbio Names Ranked Opponent He’s Targeting For UFC 314 In Miami

    UFC welterweight veteran Santiago Ponzinibbio is looking to make a late-career surge up the ladder on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

    Ponzinibbio, who formerly had a number next to his name at 170 pounds, showed that he’s got plenty left in the tank at 38 years old in the co-main event of this past weekend’s UFC Fight Night.

    The card, which marked the UFC’s first of 2025, included plenty of memorable fights and finishes. Not many scraps were more entertaining than the “Argentine Dagger’s” with Carlston Harris.

    The pair exchanged moments of success and knockdowns through the best part of 13 minutes before Ponzinibbio found the standing TKO finish with less than two minutes remaining in the third and final round.

    While the result marked the La Plata native’s first win since 2022 and snapped a two-fight losing skid, he’s still hoping for an opportunity to break back into the welterweight top 15 next time out.

    “There are so many good names,” Ponzinibbio said at the post-fight press conference after revealing his intent to fight at UFC 314 in Miami this coming April. “So many good guys come to mind (who) have a long time in the road like me. We can make a great fight. I need to think quickly.

    “Maybe Vicente Luque is a name that comes into my mind because the guy has so many years in the sport like me. I have a lot of respect for him. He’s a gentleman. He’s coming off a really good victory,” Ponzinibbio continued. “We both have a lot of Latin people behind us and we can make a good fight. But there are so many good guys. We’ll see what the company says.”

    The UFC is expected to head back to Miami’s Kaseya Center for its April pay-per-view.

    A clash between Ponzinibbio and Vicente Luque could make sense, especially given that the latter’s teammate and friend Gilbert Burns is expected to battle Michael Morales at the event.

  • Former Champion Describes Featherweight As ‘Future Of The Division’ After UFC Vegas 101 Win

    Former Champion Describes Featherweight As ‘Future Of The Division’ After UFC Vegas 101 Win

    One of the biggest winners from this past weekend’s UFC Vegas 101 event is being tipped for greatness by a former champion.

    Among the top talking points to emerge from the UFC’s very first event of 2025 was the performance of featherweight Christian Rodriguez, who further enhanced his reputation as a prospect killer by defeating the previously undefeated Austin Bashi.

    The UFC Vegas 101 result means that all of Rodriguez’s last four wins saw him take an up-and-comer’s ‘O’, with Raul Rosas Jr., Cameron Saaiman, and Isaac Dulgarian also being ousted from the ranks of the unbeaten by “CeeRod.”

    With weight issues leading to the end of his bantamweight stint, Rodriguez looks to have found a home at 145 pounds. And a prominent teammate of his, for one, is predicting big things for the 27-year-old.

    “Another 0 collected. Christian Rodriguez is the future of the 145 division,” former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis wrote on X in reaction to Rodriguez’s UFC Vegas 101 triumph.

    Like Pettis, Rodriguez is part of the team over at Roufusport MMA Academy, where he trains under the guidance of Duke Roufus in Milwaukee.

    The renowned coach will be hoping to guide “CeeRod” to the success “Showtime” found on MMA’s biggest stage when he submitted Benson Henderson back at UFC 164 in 2013.

  • Chris Curtis Ponders His UFC Future In First Statement After KO Loss To Roman Kopylov

    Chris Curtis Ponders His UFC Future In First Statement After KO Loss To Roman Kopylov

    UFC middleweight Chris Curtis could be committing to a major change following his latest setback.

    Curtis was among the fighters tasked with kicking things off for the mixed martial arts leader in 2025, as he got his campaign for the year underway Saturday at the Apex in Las Vegas.

    After narrowly falling short in a main event rematch opposite Brendan Allen last April — and subsequently requiring a lengthy stint on the sidelines to heal from injuries — “Action Man” was looking to bounce back at the expense of Roman Kopylov.

    He was unable to do so, however, with the Russian emerging victorious from a highly entertaining affair. The end came by way of a perfectly timed head kick that saw Curtis stopped with just one second remaining on the clock.

    Though the American was furious with the stoppage and berated referee Mark Smith, the knockdown had no doubt sealed a certain decision victory for Kopylov had the scorecards been required.

    That was seemingly acknowledged by Curtis, who made no mention or complaint of the finish during his first post-fight statement on Instagram. The 37-year-old instead spoke on his own failure to have his hand raised, and he admitted the result may have signaled the end of his journey at 185 pounds.


    “Only job in the world where you can make 200k in a night and still be absolutely heartbroken and questioning where you go from here. No damage, I’m fine. Probably train tomorrow for my sanity but just frustrated and heartbroken. 8 months off. Hamstring tear, broken foot and then a calf tear. Trained through it all. Never lost sight of the goal. Just hurts to come up short. Thank you to everyone who reached out, have had a lot of love online and in person, it means the world to me. I guess I should take some comfort in fight of the night, but I only view tonight as a failure.

    “Maybe 170 is the way to go from here. Rest this weekend and I guess we have a talk with the team and management about what comes next. It thanks again to @mickmaynard2 for the opportunity to do what I love. I’m not sure who or where I would be without this. Thank you to the @ufcpi , you guys put me back together 3 times this year. It was an incredibly hard road back, but @gav_pratt and @heatherlinden and their teams really went above and beyond for me, and I will never not be grateful for that. For now, thankfully, we are uninjured and healthy. We work on figuring out what comes next.”

    The fact he took home an additional $50,000 for earning Fight of the Night honors was evidently of little consolation for Curtis, who now has just one win across his last five fights.

    Curtis began his UFC career with a 3-0 run that included memorable knockouts of Phil Hawes and Allen.

    Having subsequently failed to achieve similar consistency after breaking into the rankings, “Action Man” could return to the welterweight division, where he previously held a number of regional titles and fought at under the PFL banner.

  • Mackenzie Dern In No Rush For Title Fight After UFC Vegas 101 Win: ‘I Want To Be A Dominant Champion’

    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 Dern’s 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 isn’t 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.

    “I think I’m very hard on myself,” Dern told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I’m always trying to get better. Even when I have a great performance, I think I did so many things wrong. I think it’s 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.

    “My idea isn’t 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. I’m not in a rush to get there. I want to have good fights and I want to make a statement.”

    UFC Women’s 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.

  • ‘Masterclass In Jiu-Jitsu’ – Fans React As Mackenzie Dern Avenges Amanda Ribas Loss With Classic Armbar At UFC Vegas 101

    ‘Masterclass In Jiu-Jitsu’ – Fans React As Mackenzie Dern Avenges Amanda Ribas Loss With Classic Armbar At UFC Vegas 101

    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.

    Mackenzie Dern Submits Amanda Ribas In Rematch Over Five Years In The Making

    Dern, who looks to crack back into the top five of the women’s strawweight rankings, has now won two straight and three of her last five bouts.

    Ribas, meanwhile, has now lost three of her last five fights.

  • ‘Closest We’ve Had To Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry’ – Fans React As Cesar Almeida Overcomes Knockdown To Land One-Punch KO At UFC Vegas 101

    ‘Closest We’ve Had To Cheick Kongo vs. Pat Barry’ – Fans React As Cesar Almeida Overcomes Knockdown To Land One-Punch KO At UFC Vegas 101

    The hits kept on coming at UFC Vegas 101, as the promotion’s first card of the year picked up in intensity on the main card real quick.

    Not long after Roman Kopylov scored a controversial, last-second finish of Chris Curtis, Cesar Almeida pulled off an unbelievable performance of his own, coming back from nearly being knocked out to emphatically finish Abdul Razak Alhassan.

    Alhassan was dominating Almeida throughout the first round. The Brazilian was dropped, and when he got up, the Ghanaian powerhouse landed rapid-fire shots, troubling Almeida and nearly putting him away.

    But while Alhassan was landing a barrage of shots with the two fighters near the fence, Almeida cracked him on the button, dropping Alhassan out cold in the final minute of the opening round to seal off a memorable comeback victory.

    Almeida Provides Early KO Of The Year Nominee With One-Shot Finish Of Alhassan At UFC Vegas 101

    With the win, the Brazilian rises to 7-1 and improves to 3-1 in the UFC since his appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series. His sole loss thus far came against Kopylov.

    Alhassan, meanwhile, is without a victory in his last three fights and has just one triumph across his last five.

  • ‘Horrible Stoppage’ – Fans React As Roman Kopylov Head Kicks Chris Curtis For Controversial Buzzer-Beater At UFC Vegas 101

    ‘Horrible Stoppage’ – Fans React As Roman Kopylov Head Kicks Chris Curtis For Controversial Buzzer-Beater At UFC Vegas 101

    The first major fight controversy of 2025 has taken place at UFC Vegas 101 — the promotion’s first card of the year. And, of course, it had to involve Chris Curtis.

    In a jaw-dropping finish, “Action Man” was stopped by Roman Kopylov with just one second remaining in the contest.

    Both athletes brought fire in their striking during the first round. The Russian seemed to have the upper hand, but Curtis appeared to be gaining momentum as time went on.

    That stretched into the second, as the American continued his production, having landed over 100 significant strikes on his foe within the fight’s first 10 minutes.

    Kopylov was not deterred and had his own surge of momentum in the third round. But just as everything seemed to be wrapped up with the judges to present the scores, the Russian landed a head kick that badly rocked Curtis.

    Referee Marc Smith, with just one second remaining in the bout, stepped in and waved off the fight, giving Kopylov a victory via finish.

    Roman Kopylov Controversially Finishes Chris Curtis With One Second Left At UFC Vegas 101

    https://twitter.com/LhileDhonkheh/status/1878252122229055698
    https://twitter.com/JakeGerberMMA/status/1878253637182296280
    https://twitter.com/HomelanderMMA/status/1878251020167319719
    https://twitter.com/ElonovMMA/status/1878253587874320637

    Kopylov has now won back-to-back fights and six of his last seven.

    Curtis, meanwhile, has won just one of his last five fights.

  • VIDEO: Punahele Soriano Stops Uroš Medić In 31 Seconds To Open UFC Vegas 101 Main Card

    VIDEO: Punahele Soriano Stops Uroš Medić In 31 Seconds To Open UFC Vegas 101 Main Card

    Welterweight Punahale Soriano got the first main card win of 2025, doing so in practically no time at all Saturday at UFC Vegas 101.

    Soriano needed just 31 seconds to score a quick finish of Uroš Medić at the promotion’s first event of the new year inside Las Vegas’ Apex on Jan. 11.

    The Hawaiian nailed his Serbian opponentwith a one-two that dropped him. Soriano followed this with some quick but vicious ground-and-pound to put the finishing touches on this win.

    Punahele Soriano Puts Away Uroš Medić In Quick Fashion At UFC Vegas 101

    https://twitter.com/TakeruCigarra/status/1878234400984314122?t=5AuyFKFGfAvCZk02gXmkfQ&s=19

    Soriano has now won back-to-back fights and three of his last five, improving to 5-4 in the UFC. It also marks his first knockout win since defeating Dalcha Lungiambula in 2022.

    After arriving to the UFC 6-0, meanwhile, Medić now falls to 10-3, having been finished in each of his losses.

  • VIDEO: Victoria Dudakova Slaps Coach After Falling To The First Finish Of 2025 At UFC Vegas 101

    VIDEO: Victoria Dudakova Slaps Coach After Falling To The First Finish Of 2025 At UFC Vegas 101

    The first finish of the UFC’s 2025 calendar has been delivered, and it came in some brutal fashion, as Fatima Kline scored a win over Victoria Dudakova during the UFC Vegas 101 prelims.

    And it’s safe to say that the Russian didn’t take the result well…

    Both women delivered powerful shots during the opening frame, but Kline appeared to gain control as time went on.

    Then, with Dudakova grounded late in the second, Kline landed some hard ground-and-pound to force the referee to step in and wave off the contest.

    Kline Scores First Octagon Win With Ground & Pound At UFC Vegas 101, Dudakova Slaps Cornerman

    What else is noteworthy occurred in the losing corner following the fight. It appeared that Dudakova slapped one of her cornermen after he attempted to console her.

    This marks the first UFC win for “The Archangel” after dropping her debut last year to Jasmine Jasudavicius.

    Dudakova, meanwhile, has now lost back-to-back outings after starting her UFC run 2-0 in 2023.

  • UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2 Weigh-In Results: Two Miss Weight

    UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2 Weigh-In Results: Two Miss Weight

    UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2 takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    Before heading to Los Angeles to stage its first pay-per-view of 2025 next weekend, the mixed martial arts leader has Fight Night business to attend to at the Apex to kick off the new year.

    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)
    • Middleweight: César Almeida (185.5lbs) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (185.5lbs)
    • Middleweight: Chris Curtis (185.5lbs) vs. Roman Kopylov (185.5lbs)
    • Featherweight: Christian Rodriguez (145lbs) vs. Austin Bashi (145.5lbs)
    • Welterweight: Punahele Soriano (171lbs) vs. Uroš Medić (171lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Flyweight: Jose Johnson (128.5lbs)* vs. Felipe Bunes
    • Middleweight: Marco Tulio (185.5lbs) vs. Ihor Potieria (188lbs)**
    • Lightweight: Thiago Moisés (155.5lbs) vs. Trey Ogden (155.5lbs)
    • Welterweight: Preston Parsons (171lbs) vs. Jacobe Smith (170.5lbs)
    • Women’s Flyweight: Ernesta Kareckaite (126lbs) vs. Nicolle Caliari (125.5lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (205lbs) vs. Bruno Lopes (205.5lbs)
    • Women’s Strawweight: Fatima Kline (116lbs) vs. Victoria Dudakova (116lbs)
    • Lightweight: Nurullo Aliev (155.5lbs) vs. Joe Solecki (155lbs)

    *Jose Johnson missed the flyweight limit by 2.5 pounds, fight status TBC

    **Ihor Potieria missed the middleweight limit by 2 pounds, fight status TBC

  • UFC Commentator Backs ‘More Versatile Striker’ Amanda Ribas To Beat Mackenzie Dern Again

    UFC Commentator Backs ‘More Versatile Striker’ Amanda Ribas To Beat Mackenzie Dern Again

    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.

  • UFC Vegas 101 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Dern vs. Ribas 2, Curtis vs. Kopylov, & More

    UFC Vegas 101 Betting Odds: Current Favorites For Dern vs. Ribas 2, Curtis vs. Kopylov, & More

    UFC Vegas 101 is almost upon us, and MMA News is here to keep you updated with the current odds for this weekend’s lineup.

    The upcoming event takes place Saturday, January 11, at the Apex in Enterprise, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 PM ET/3 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 PM ET/1 PM PT.

    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)
    • César Almeida (-298) vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan (+240)
    • Chris Curtis (+220) vs. Roman Kopylov (-270)
    • Christian Rodriguez (+218) vs. Austin Bashi (-265)
    • Punahele Soriano (+164) vs. Uroš Medić (-198)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Jose Johnson (-192) vs. Felipe Bunes (+160)
    • Marco Tulio (-500) vs. Ihor Potieria (+280)
    • Thiago Moisés (-198) vs. Trey Ogden (+164)
    • Preston Parsons (+280) vs. Jacobe Smith (-355)
    • Ernesta Kareckaite (-298) vs. Nicolle Caliari (+240)
    • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (-225) vs. Bruno Lopes (+185)
    • Fatima Kline (-800) vs. Victoria Dudakova (+550)
    • Nurullo Aliev (-425) vs. Joe Solecki (+330)
  • Report: Mackenzie Dern To Headline First UFC Event Of 2025

    Report: Mackenzie Dern To Headline First UFC Event Of 2025

    UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern’s next fight will no longer be a year-ending clash in Tampa — it’ll be a year-opening assignment in Las Vegas.

    Dern (14-5) has had an inconsistent run in recent years and entered her most recent outing in Abu Dhabi this past August off the back of consecutive losses at the hands of Jéssica Andrade and Amanda Lemos.

    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.

    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)
    • Thiago Moisés vs. Trey Ogden (lightweight)
    • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. César Almeida (middleweight)
    • Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez (featherweight)
    • Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz (lightweight)
    • Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari (women’s flyweight)
    • Punahele Soriano vs. Uroš Medić (welterweight)
    • Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes (flyweight)
    • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes (light heavyweight)
    • Andreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons (welterweight)
    • Victoria Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline (women’s strawweight)
  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Miles Johns Rebooked For Tampa After Garbrandt Cancellation

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Miles Johns Rebooked For Tampa After Garbrandt Cancellation

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, November 4, and Sunday, November 10, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For those matchups, check out the list below:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with three fights falling through or being adjusted. For those, see below:

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Ikram Aliskerov Returns In Saudi Arabia

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Ikram Aliskerov Returns In Saudi Arabia

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, October 21, and Sunday, October 27, a number of fights were made official by the promotion or reported by reputable sources. For those matchups, check out the list below:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with two fights falling through. For those, see below:

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Bryan Battle Gets UFC 310 Return

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Bryan Battle Gets UFC 310 Return

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, October 14, and Sunday, October 20, a number of fights were made official by the promotion or reported by reputable sources. For those matchups, check out the list below:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with one fight being adjusted. For that, see below: