Mackenzie Dern started 2025 off with a bang earlier tonight (Sat., Jan. 11, 2025) at UFC Vegas 101 live on ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, stopping former foe Amanda Ribas with a nasty third-round submission (armbar).
Dern, who came into Saturday’s main event clash ranked No. 6 in the women’s strawweight division, came up short against Ribas back in 2019. Ribas won a unanimous decision victory, but it was just Dern’s eighth professional fight. Dern has certainly gotten better over the past six years so fight fans were intrigued by this weekend’s rematch.
As expected, Dern and Ribas traded momentum throughout the first half of this fight. Both women were able to implement their wrestling and fight from top control. The position still favored Dern because of her elite submission skills so Ribas needed to be careful.
Towards the end of the third round Ribas had top control, but the two strawweights were positioned close to the cage. Despite being on her back, Dern was able to sweep Ribas by using the cage and ended up in top control. Dern immediately locked up the armbar and stretched Ribas out. It only took a few second before Ribas tapped.
Check out the finish below:
Elle prend sa revanche au sol #UFCVegas101@MackenzieDern s’impose par soumission au troisième round pic.twitter.com/K5w6xaCqTg
— UFC France (@UFCFRA) January 12, 2025
Dern, 31, is now 2-0 after outlasting Loopy Godinez by unanimous decision back in Aug. 2024. If Dern can finally put her takedowns together to give herself the best chance to use her grappling then 2025 might be the year she challenges for a UFC title. Either way, Saturday night was a good step in the right direction.
For complete UFC Vegas 101 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.