Tag: UFC Vegas 101

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

UFC Fight Night on January 11 Adds Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov and a Lightweight Banger

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov, One Other Bout Added to UFC Fight Night on January 11The UFC’s return to The APEX on January 11 just got a little bigger. On Tuesday, the promotion announced…

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov, One Other Bout Added to UFC Fight Night on January 11

The UFC’s return to The APEX on January 11 just got a little bigger.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced two fights for the company’s first event of 2025, one of them being a middleweight showdown between Chris ‘Action Man’ Curtis and Roman Kopylov.

GfCFa dagAALnjD

Alternating wins and losses in his last five fights, Curtis will look to climb back into the win column after coming up short against Brendan Allen via split decision in April. Before that, Curtis came out on the right side of another split decision against Marc-André Barriault at the beginning of 2024.

Overall, Curtis is 5-3 under the UFC banner with one no contest.

Standing in Curtis’ way of a 32nd career victory will Kopylov — a Russian standout who despite his lackluster 5-3 record, has looked very impressive inside the Octagon over the last couple of years.

gettyimages 2155660602 612x612 1

Kopylov kickstarted his UFC run with back-to-back losses against Karl Roberson and Albert Duraev before winning five of his last six fights, all but one of them coming by way of knockout.

Overall, Kopylov is 13-3 in his mixed martial arts career and will be looking to make it two in a row after landing a split decision W against César Almeida at UFC 302.

UFC Vegas 101 also gets a lightweight banger between two highly-touted prospects

Also added to UFC Vegas 101 is a lightweight scrap between undefeated standout Nurullo Aliev and Israel’s Yanal Ashmouz.

GfCFa eaAAAJJgg

After fighting his way into the UFC with a first-round knockout of Josh Wick on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aliev landed his first official win inside the Octagon with a majority decision victory over Rafael Alves in February 2023. ‘Talk Eagle’ goes into his sophomore appearance with a spotless 9-0 record.

Ashmouz introduced himself to UFC fans in March 2023 with a 75-second knockout win against Sam Patterson. Since then, he’s logged a decision loss to Chris Duncan followed by a return to the win column, defeating Trevor Peek in September.

The official card for UFC Vegas 101 is as follows:

Main Card

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Marco Tulio vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes

Prelims

  • Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
  • Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
  • Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes
  • Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz
  • Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari
  • Preston Parsons vs. Andreas Gustafsson
  • Fatima Kline vs. Victoria Dudakova

Card subject to change.

UFC Fight Night on January 11 Adds Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov and a Lightweight Banger

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov, One Other Bout Added to UFC Fight Night on January 11The UFC’s return to The APEX on January 11 just got a little bigger. On Tuesday, the promotion announced…

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov, One Other Bout Added to UFC Fight Night on January 11

The UFC’s return to The APEX on January 11 just got a little bigger.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced two fights for the company’s first event of 2025, one of them being a middleweight showdown between Chris ‘Action Man’ Curtis and Roman Kopylov.

GfCFa dagAALnjD

Alternating wins and losses in his last five fights, Curtis will look to climb back into the win column after coming up short against Brendan Allen via split decision in April. Before that, Curtis came out on the right side of another split decision against Marc-André Barriault at the beginning of 2024.

Overall, Curtis is 5-3 under the UFC banner with one no contest.

Standing in Curtis’ way of a 32nd career victory will Kopylov — a Russian standout who despite his lackluster 5-3 record, has looked very impressive inside the Octagon over the last couple of years.

gettyimages 2155660602 612x612 1

Kopylov kickstarted his UFC run with back-to-back losses against Karl Roberson and Albert Duraev before winning five of his last six fights, all but one of them coming by way of knockout.

Overall, Kopylov is 13-3 in his mixed martial arts career and will be looking to make it two in a row after landing a split decision W against César Almeida at UFC 302.

UFC Vegas 101 also gets a lightweight banger between two highly-touted prospects

Also added to UFC Vegas 101 is a lightweight scrap between undefeated standout Nurullo Aliev and Israel’s Yanal Ashmouz.

GfCFa eaAAAJJgg

After fighting his way into the UFC with a first-round knockout of Josh Wick on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aliev landed his first official win inside the Octagon with a majority decision victory over Rafael Alves in February 2023. ‘Talk Eagle’ goes into his sophomore appearance with a spotless 9-0 record.

Ashmouz introduced himself to UFC fans in March 2023 with a 75-second knockout win against Sam Patterson. Since then, he’s logged a decision loss to Chris Duncan followed by a return to the win column, defeating Trevor Peek in September.

The official card for UFC Vegas 101 is as follows:

Main Card

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Marco Tulio vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes

Prelims

  • Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
  • Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
  • Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes
  • Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz
  • Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari
  • Preston Parsons vs. Andreas Gustafsson
  • Fatima Kline vs. Victoria Dudakova

Card subject to change.

UFC Fight Night on January 11 Adds Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov and a Lightweight Banger

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov, One Other Bout Added to UFC Fight Night on January 11The UFC’s return to The APEX on January 11 just got a little bigger. On Tuesday, the promotion announced…

Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov, One Other Bout Added to UFC Fight Night on January 11

The UFC’s return to The APEX on January 11 just got a little bigger.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced two fights for the company’s first event of 2025, one of them being a middleweight showdown between Chris ‘Action Man’ Curtis and Roman Kopylov.

GfCFa dagAALnjD

Alternating wins and losses in his last five fights, Curtis will look to climb back into the win column after coming up short against Brendan Allen via split decision in April. Before that, Curtis came out on the right side of another split decision against Marc-André Barriault at the beginning of 2024.

Overall, Curtis is 5-3 under the UFC banner with one no contest.

Standing in Curtis’ way of a 32nd career victory will Kopylov — a Russian standout who despite his lackluster 5-3 record, has looked very impressive inside the Octagon over the last couple of years.

gettyimages 2155660602 612x612 1

Kopylov kickstarted his UFC run with back-to-back losses against Karl Roberson and Albert Duraev before winning five of his last six fights, all but one of them coming by way of knockout.

Overall, Kopylov is 13-3 in his mixed martial arts career and will be looking to make it two in a row after landing a split decision W against César Almeida at UFC 302.

UFC Vegas 101 also gets a lightweight banger between two highly-touted prospects

Also added to UFC Vegas 101 is a lightweight scrap between undefeated standout Nurullo Aliev and Israel’s Yanal Ashmouz.

GfCFa eaAAAJJgg

After fighting his way into the UFC with a first-round knockout of Josh Wick on Dana White’s Contender Series, Aliev landed his first official win inside the Octagon with a majority decision victory over Rafael Alves in February 2023. ‘Talk Eagle’ goes into his sophomore appearance with a spotless 9-0 record.

Ashmouz introduced himself to UFC fans in March 2023 with a 75-second knockout win against Sam Patterson. Since then, he’s logged a decision loss to Chris Duncan followed by a return to the win column, defeating Trevor Peek in September.

The official card for UFC Vegas 101 is as follows:

Main Card

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
  • Cesar Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
  • Marco Tulio vs. Ihor Potieria
  • Thiago Moises vs. Trey Ogden
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes

Prelims

  • Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
  • Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
  • Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes
  • Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz
  • Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari
  • Preston Parsons vs. Andreas Gustafsson
  • Fatima Kline vs. Victoria Dudakova

Card subject to change.

Report: Mackenzie Dern To Headline First UFC Event Of 2025

UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern’s next fight will no longer be a year-ending clash in Tampa — it’ll be a year-opening assignment in Las Vegas. Dern (14-5) has had an inconsistent run in recent years and entered her most recent outing in Abu Dhabi this past August off the back of consecutive losses at the […]

UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern’s next fight will no longer be a year-ending clash in Tampa — it’ll be a year-opening assignment in Las Vegas.

Dern (14-5) has had an inconsistent run in recent years and entered her most recent outing in Abu Dhabi this past August off the back of consecutive losses at the hands of Jéssica Andrade and Amanda Lemos.

But the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist successfully avoided the first three-fight losing skid of her career, outpointing Loopy Godinez to return to winning ways. And Dern initially looked set for the chance to end the year on a streak.

She was booked for the opportunity to avenge her first professional defeat in a rematch with Amanda Ribas (13-5) at the UFC Fight Night in Tampa next weekend. The Brazilian is currently ranked two places below Dern at #8.

Per MMA Mania’s Alex Behunin, however, that second dance has been pushed back and will instead now top the lineup for UFC Vegas 101 at the Apex on Jan. 11.

For Ribas, the rematch will mark her return to 115 pounds after suffering defeat to Rose Namajunas last time out at flyweight, another division in which she occupies a spot inside the top 10.

In her last appearance as a strawweight, the 31-year-old stopped Luana Pinheiro in highlight reel fashion with a late spinning wheel kick. She’s riding back-to-back wins in the weight class, having previously got the better of a top-five contender in Virna Jandiroba.

With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC Vegas 101 on Jan. 11 are as follows:

  • Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas (women’s strawweight main event)
  • Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov (middleweight)
  • Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris (welterweight)
  • Thiago Moisés vs. Trey Ogden (lightweight)
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. César Almeida (middleweight)
  • Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez (featherweight)
  • Nurullo Aliev vs. Yanal Ashmouz (lightweight)
  • Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Nicolle Caliari (women’s flyweight)
  • Punahele Soriano vs. Uroš Medi? (welterweight)
  • Jose Johnson vs. Felipe Bunes (flyweight)
  • Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes (light heavyweight)
  • Andreas Gustafsson vs. Preston Parsons (welterweight)
  • Victoria Dudakova vs. Fatima Kline (women’s strawweight)