Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas kick off the new year with an old rivalry.
It’s been over five years since Dern and Ribas first fought in Tampa. Back then, Dern was the heavily hyped prospect known for her Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition success, while Ribas was the well-regarded but lesser known underdog. Ribas was the better woman that day, earning a convincing unanimous decision over Dern, and they now run it back in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 101 main event.
Both fighters have been mainstays in the strawweight rankings—Dern is currently No. 8 at 115 pounds, while Ribas sits at No. 10—have struggled with consistency, though for different reasons…