Mackenzie Dern submitted Amanda Ribas to earn revenge in the main event of an exciting UFC Vegas 101 card on Saturday night.
UFC fans felt the sting of a four-week hiatus after Colby Covington and Joaquin Buckley’s battle in Tampa in the middle of December. And they were rewarded for their patience with an exciting fight card that included seven stoppages, six of which were KOs.
The highlights of the night included a 30-second KO and Christian Rodriguez ending a fourth undefeated streak in the octagon.
Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas had already fought once before
Back in 2019, Dern and Ribas battled it out at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on the undercard of Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Michelle Waterson’s clash. Mackenzie Dern entered the fight undefeated, but was taking a big step up in competition and returning just months after giving birth to her daughter.
And Amanda Ribas managed to show her class over the three round distance as she handed her rival the first defeat of her professional career. It sent Dern on a difficult path of mixed results, leading to an eventual rematch years later.
“I feel like I was such a different person back then,” Dern told the media this week. “It doesn’t even feel like that was me. I feel like I’m a totally different person. And it was three rounds. I think we’re at totally different phases of our careers.
“I’ve evolved in striking and wrestling and takedowns, just so much experience… I think I still would have losses in my career, and I’m still happy with where I’m at today. I think it’s what made me be who I am today, so I can’t say ‘I totally regret it,’ but I think if I could go back again, I would wait a little bit longer.”
Mackenzie Dern vs Amanda Ribas 2 RESULT
A key difference that was visible from the early stages of round one was Dern’s vastly superior striking from the first time around. Legendary trainer Jason Parillo had turned things around for her boxing, after she arrived in the UFC as one of the most accomplished women’s jiu-jitsu specialists.
Dern worked her way into a takedown around the halfway point of round one, but was unable to turn it into any sort of finishing position despite earning the points. The second began with another takedown effort, which resulted in Dern on her back after a tremendous reversal from Ribas.
The second ended in a damp squib before the third found its way into the same situation. Ribas was in top position, but that allowed Dern to push for submissions using her high-level jiu-jitsu.
And she managed to get the finish with just seconds to go before the end of the third. An armbar was the winning submission to give her the victory and revenge over a rival who handed her the first defeat of her professional career.
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