Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, Mackenzie Dern — currently ranked No. 6 in the world at 115 pounds — is one of the more interesting possible title challengers in the Strawweight ranks. As an absolutely elite grappler with incredible finishing ability, she’s never truly out of a fight. If she finds her way into top position, she can put anyone in danger, and that includes Zhang Weili, the dominant divisional queen who’s looking quite hard to topple at the moment.
The problem is that Dern at times also feels like she could lose to just about anyone in the Top 15 as well. Her place in the division — in the title talks but not particularly close to being handed the opportunity — has remained fairly static despite turbulent performances and inconsistent results in actual fights.
It’s really hard to know what Dern will show up on fight night. She was looking title shot-ready in 2023 until she walked into every punch Jessica Andrade threw, getting obliterated by a former champion who was in the midst of a losing streak. The demoralizing loss can be partially blamed on Dern ditching her boxing coach beforehand, a mistake that has since been rectified.
The frustrating part is that Dern’s issues and strengths remain the same even as the performances themselves vary. She’s a masterful grappler with considerable grit who can throw a mean right hand. Elite fighters have accomplished a lot more with a lot less! At the same time, those flaws in her footwork, wrestling, and striking defense routinely pop up. If she’s unable to sway the fight back into her areas of strength, she can look downright novice at times.
In many ways, Amanda Ribas was the first to demonstrate Dern’s flaws. Back in 2019, she handed Dern her first professional loss by successfully sprawling-and-brawling her way to a unanimous decision nod. Like Dern, she’s struggled with finding consistent success against the cream of the crop, alternating wins and losses in her last seven bouts against Top 10 opposition.
Six years later, these athletes will rematch in the first main event of 2025. Dern has a perfect opportunity here to demonstrate her growth and prove some consistency. If she can consistently ground Ribas or rattle her chin standing, it’s strong evidence that her career and skills are moving in the right direction. Victory here could land here a title eliminator next, possibly against the likes of streaking former foe Virna Jandiroba.
It’s a real test for Ribas as well. The Brazilian talent definitely hamstrings herself a bit by jumping between two weight classes. Her name has never carried quite as much hype as Dern, but a second win over the jiu-jitsu ace will certainly help build momentum in a fairly open title picture.
With both in their prime at 31 years of age, the stakes are high. One way or another, the Dern vs. Ribas rematch should tell us a lot about where each woman goes from here and really help shape the Strawweight landscape.
LIVE! Stream UFC Vegas 101 On ESPN+
STRAWWEIGHT SHOWDOWN! Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads back to its APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Sat., Jan. 11, 2025, with an important 115-pound main event featuring jiu-jitsu phenom Mackenzie Dern, who looks to avenge her 2019 loss to Brazilian bruiser Amanda Ribas. In addition, longtime welterweight slugger Santiago Ponzinibbio returns to face off against “Mocambique” mauler Carlston Harris in UFC Vegas 101’s hard-hitting co-headliner.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 101 fight card right here, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 101: “Dern vs. Ribas 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
