Mackenzie Dern vs. Tabatha Ricci is a potential matchup that has many UFC fans salivating at the possibility. Both are top-ranked in the same division, there’s just one little issue.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tabatha Ricci
The American-Brazilian Mackenzie Dern is just coming off an impressive win against Lupita Godinez in the strawweight division. The submission specialist is next booked to face Brazil’s Amanda Ribas in December. The 31-year-old Dern is currently ranked 8th in the UFC’s strawweight division and is looking to climb higher.
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Mackenzie Dern had a highly impressive background before transitioning to professional MMA. She had won ADCC for her weight division and captured three world titles in IBJJF.
Baby Shark’ Tabatha Ricci, of Brazil, began her combat sports career in Muay Thai and would later add Jiu-Jitsu and Judo to her arsenal. She is a highly well-rounded fighter with a striking background but black belts in Judo and Jiu Jitsu. Currently, in the UFC’s strawweight division, she is ranked in the top ten after impressive wins against Tecia Pennington and Angela Hill.
Both Dern and Ricci have had wins in the past few weeks and in the same weight division, so it has many fans saying that they should faceoff. But there’s an issue.
fck it, tabatha ricci vs mackenzie dern pic.twitter.com/2cBYUwTsmd
— Dovy
(@DovySimuMMA) August 25, 2024
(@DovySimuMMA)
Mackenzie Dern and Tabatha Ricci Are Teammates
Mackenzie Dern and Tabatha Ricci are unlikely to meet in the cage as they have trained alongside one another for years. The two worked together going as far back as when they both competed in LFA.
(@tabatha.ricci)In an exclusive interview with Mackenzie Dern discussed training with Tabatha Ricci, she told LowKickMMA:
“It’s definitely good when you have a sparring partner kinda going through the camp at the same time because you guys both train hard. Of course, sometimes you have a good day or sometimes a bad day. But it’s different when you have a sparring partner that doesn’t have a fight or anything like that, so they’re just fresh. It’s definitely good when you have a sparring partner that’s on the same routine as you, so I’m definitely happy for that. It’ll be good.”
Mackenzie Dern vs. Tabatha Ricci is not likely to go down, so UFC fans will have to find another avenue for them to quench their thirst.
