Tag: UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas

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 […]

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 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 […]

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”

UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Mackenzie Dern Submits Amanda Ribas

UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!  In the main event, top-ten strawweights (#6) Mackenzie Dern and (#8) Amanda Ribas clashed. While in the co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio faced Carlston Harris in a welterweight matchup.  UFC Fight Night Results: […]

UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

In the main event, top-ten strawweights (#6) Mackenzie Dern and (#8) Amanda Ribas clashed. While in the co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio faced Carlston Harris in a welterweight matchup. 

UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

  • Women’s Strawweight: Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas via submission: R3, 4.56 
  • Welterweight: Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Carlston Harris via TKO: R3, 3.13
  • Middleweight: César Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via KO: R1, 4.16  
  • Middleweight: Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis via TKO: R3. 4.59
  • Featherweight: Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi via unanimous decision (29-28×3) 
  • Welterweight: Punahele Soriano def. Uroš Medi? via KO: R1, 0.31  

Preliminary Card

  • Flyweight: Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson via submission: R1, 2.04
  • Middleweight: Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria via TKO: R1, 3.04
  • Lightweight: Thiago Moisés def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (29-28×3)
  • Welterweight: Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via KO: R1, 1.13
  • Women’s Flyweight: Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision: (29-28×2, 28-29)  
  • Light Heavyweight: Bruno Lopes def. Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (29-28×3)
  • Women’s Strawweight: Fatima Kline def. Victoria Dudakova via TKO: R2, 4.27

Lightweight: Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)

Preliminary Card Highlights

Fatima Kline def. Victoria Dudakova

In this strawweight matchup, Fatima Kline stopped Victoria Dudakova late in the second round.

Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons

Jacobe Smith earned a first-round KO of Preston Parsons in their welterweight fight.

Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria

Marco Tulio got it done in the first round with a TKO of Ihor Potieria.

Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson

In this flyweight bout, Felipe Bunes earned a first-round armbar submission of Jose Johnson.

Main Card Highlights

Punahele Soriano def. Uroš Medi?

Punahele Soriano took just 31 seconds to KO Uroš Medi? in their welterweight bout.

Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi

In this featherweight matchup, Christian Rodriguez earned a decision against Austin Bashi.

Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis

In this middleweight bout, Roman Kopylov TKO’d Chris Curtis with a head kick in the final second of round three.

César Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan

César Almeida knocked Abdul Razak Alhassan out cold in the first round of their middleweight matchup.

Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Carlston Harris

Santiago Ponzinibbio got it done with a TKO of Carlston Harris in round three.

Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas

In the main event, Mackenzie Dern submitted Amanda Ribas with an armbar at the end of round three.

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 […]

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 Medi? (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

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 Medi? (-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 vs. Jacobe Smith
  • Ernesta Kareckaite (-298) vs. Nicolle Caliari (+240)
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov (-225) vs. Bruno Lopes (+185)
  • Fatima Kline (-800) vs. Victoria Dudakova (+550)
  • Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki