Mackenzie Dern is not motivated by vengeance but can avenge her first mixed martial arts loss on Saturday. Dern runs it back with Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night, five years after Ribas scrubbed the zero from Dern’s record.
Dern (14-5) is a curious case in MMA. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star’s evolution as a mixed martial artist has occurred completely in the public eye. A one-dimensional fighter when she debuted in 2016, Dern’s striking and offensive wrestling have improved admirably. However, her defensive striking has plagued her against fellow contenders like Amanda Lemos and Jessica Andrade. Staying composed under fire is hard to train, but she’s confident she can conquer it. A win over Ribas (No. 8) won’t do much for Dern (No. 6) in the UFC’s official women’s strawweight rankings, but winning consecutive fights for the first time in four years gives her the momentum to make another run at the top five.
“I’ve been working so hard on not turning my back, circling out and not lifting my chin,” Dern told CBS Sports. “Defending myself while I’m backing out. I’m trying to work that composure and I think I’m getting better, I really think it’s going to come out in this fight with Amanda. I don’t see her hitting hard like Jessica Andrade, Amanda Lemos or Yan Xionan.”
Ribas (13-5) is a reliable hand for the UFC. The bubbly Brazilian is one of two fighters, along with Max Holloway, actively ranked in two separate UFC divisions. Like Dern, Ribas has struggled with consistency. Ribas has been unable to string together a winning streak after going 4-0 in the UFC. Ribas told CBS Sports that her future is as a strawweight. While Ribas will consider opportunities to fight at women’s flyweight, she sees a clearer path to a UFC title at 115 pounds.
“I’m closer to the title at strawweight,” Ribas told CBS Sports. “The biggest challenge fighting in two divisions is the weight. It’s not easy to gain and lose muscle. When I drop weight, I lose muscle as well.”
Check out the full interview with Amanda Ribas below.
UFC’s first event of the year is nowhere near as compelling as UFC 311 the following week. That’s true from skills, stakes and storytelling perspectives. Fortunately, UFC Fight Night’s main card has high action potential. Every fight on the main card, excluding the main event, has huge potential for a knockout. Keep a close eye on guys like Roman Kopylov, Abdul Razak Alhassan and Uros Medic.
Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday, with the latest odds, before we make a prediction and pick the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Amanda Ribas -205 | Mackenzie Dern +170 | Women’s strawweight |
| Santiago Ponzinibbio -140 | Carlos Harris +118 | Welterweight |
| Cesar Almeida -260 | Abdul Razak Alhassan +210 | Middleweight |
| Roman Kopylov -260 | Chris Curtis +210 | Middleweight |
| Austin Bashi -270 | Christian Rodriguez +220 | Featherweight |
| Uros Medic -220 | Punahele Soriano +180 | Welterweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Jan. 11 | Start time: 7 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: UFC Apex — Las Vegas
TV channel: ESPN+
Prediction
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas: Dern’s development is more visible since she entered the sport with such an uneven skill set. Ribas will remind you that she too was early in her UFC career when they last fought. Ribas’ well-roundedness stumped Dern in 2019. Ribas stopped all six of Dern’s takedowns, took down twice and tripled her in significant strikes. Dern’s striking offense has improved but not enough to go blow for blow with Ribas. Dern’s wrestling offense has also improved, albeit less substantially than her striking. I anticipate a much closer fight than their first encounter. Ribas’ inconsistent KO power might allow Dern to set the pace early but Ribas’ overall body of work should lead to another victory. Ribas via Unanimous Decision
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