UFC Vegas 101 Main Event
And just like that, the holidays are over! The UFC begins their 2025 campaign with a rematch in the main event between straweights. 13 other fights make up the event known as UFC Vegas 101, but none more important or as impactful to their respective divisions than the main event. Read more UFC Vegas 101 main event.
Mackenzie Dern looks to get a winning streak going after a victory over Lupita Godinez in late 2023.
Amanda Ribas wants to get some consistency going and aims to get back to her winning ways.
Will Dern finally figure out how to get her grappling going to exact her revenge? Or will Ribas close the door on the rivalry once and for all? Read on to see how these Brazilians stack up and who should be triumphant in act two.
Mackenzie Dern
The belle of the ball back in 2019, Dern had an undefeated record and looked as if she was going to be the next big thing in the UFC. She then gave birth to her first daughter in June 2019 and quickly returned to action to face the woman she rematches this weekend.
Dern ended up on the losing end that night as she was unable to get to any of her grappling and getting pieced up on the feet. She would go on to win her next four fights before running into Marina Rodriguez. Now on a 3-3 run in her last 6 fights, Dern is looking for the right combination of game planning, skills, and execution to take her to the next level.
Dern has largely been known for her BJJ-heavy approach. She is a very slick grappling specialist who does not mind falling to her back because she knows she can either pull off a submission from there or create a scramble to end up in a dominant position. Working long and hard on her striking game, it’s obvious she will never be able to improve it enough to lean on that in big fights, so it’s all about blending her grappling behind striking to open better opportunities for herself. Turning 32 in March, it’s now or never for Dern.
Amanda Ribas
Taking off nearly 3 years before making her UFC debut, Ribas was a relative unknown at the time. The only knowledge people that followed the UFC had on her was that she suffered a defeat to Polyana Viana. She entered the UFC and quickly racked up four straight wins, including handing Mackenzie Dern her first pro loss. Unfortunately, Ribas is now 4-4 over her last 8 fights and just drowning in mediocrity. Last time out she fell short against Rose Namajunas in a main event slot back in March. Now with enough time away, she is ready to return and build momentum once again.
Ribas is a solid all-around fighter. She can utilize a high activity game with her striking to touch up her opponents, but she can also lean on her grappling when she needs to find dominant positions and establish control. There seems to be a clear level of opponent she can beat but struggles against the top of the division. She will likely remain a fighter hovering around the top 5-10 range of the division. There is no shame in that and considering that she is in her prime, she may be able to break through if she can get a few bounces to go her way.
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The Pick
Initially I was always on the side of picking the victor from the first fight whenever breaking down a rematch. However, there was a string of rematches over the last few years that seemed to go completely opposite to what the initial fight had shown. Recently, we are starting to see the rematch go in the victor’s favor and I feel this matchup will follow suit.
Dern just does not have a good enough wrestling game to cause Ribas too many problems. Even if this fight hits the mat, Ribas is responsible enough on the mat to keep from being submitted. For the most part, I expect Ribas to defend takedowns and pitter patter her way to victory on the feet. The current line is not too shabby either, so that’s what I’ll suggest as a bet. Whether you want to parlay her or play it straight up, Ribas should come out victorious.
