Mackenzie dern e Amanda ribas have a rematch at UFC Vegas 101. Photo: SUPER FIGHTS Montage
In 2019, Mackenzie dern e Amanda ribas faced each other for the first time in UFC Tampa. Five years later, the two will face each other again in the main fight of UFC Vegas 101 – the first Ultimate event in 2025 – which takes place this Saturday (11) in the Apex octagon, in Las Vegas (USA). In the first confrontation, the Minas Gerais native from Varginha – known as the 'Land of ET' – got the better of the Brazilian born in the USA, and won by unanimous decision.
But a lot has happened since that fight. Mackenzie is currently ranked sixth in the category, while Amanda is eighth. Both are now looking for a victory to try to fight for the belt, which currently belongs to Zhang Weili.
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In addition to the two Brazilians, the event will also feature six other Brazilian athletes, three of whom are debutants: Cesar Almeida, Felipe Bunes, Marcus Tullius, Thiago Moses, Nicole Caliari e Bruno Lopes complete the green and yellow squad at this UFC Vegas 101.
Mackenzie Dern x Amanda Ribas
Mackenzie dern e Amanda ribas face each other in the main fight of the UFC Las Vegas 101. photo: SUPER FIGHTS Montage
In the first fight between the two, in UFC Tampa In 2019, Amanda won the duel after displaying precise striking, distance control and effective ground defense, neutralizing Mackenzie's jiu-jitsu. Since then, the Minas Gerais native has alternated victories and defeats in her latest appearances, fighting in the strawweight and flyweight divisions, where she is ranked tenth. In her most recent match, Amanda was defeated by the former champion Rose namajunas, in March of last year, in her first main fight in the organization. In addition to Mackenzie herself, Ribas has already beaten names such as Luana pinheiro e Virna jandiroba.
First athlete outside the top 5 of the UFC strawweight division, Mackenzie dern had a 2024 of irregular results in the organization. In February, she was defeated by her compatriot Amanda lemos by unanimous decision. The recovery came in the following commitment, in August of last year, with the triumph over the Mexican Loopy Godinez. A multiple jiu-jitsu champion, the US-born Brazilian has won four of her nine victories in the organization by submission and arrives at UFC Vegas 101 ready to pay back the defeat she suffered to Amanda ribas.
Green and yellow squad
Still on the main card, Cesar Almeida, 'Cesinha', has a tough challenge ahead of him Abdul Razak Alhassan. Despite not having a positive result for almost two years, the Ghanaian has 12 victories, all by knockout, 11 of them in the first round. But with two victories in three fights in the UFC – one of them by knockout – the middleweight from São Paulo (up to 83,9 kg) arrives at UFC Vegas 101 looking for the triumph that could put him very close to a place in the top 15 of the division.
Felipe Bunes (dir.) in presentation at UFC Las Vegas 84. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
Former LFA flyweight champion (up to 56,7kg), Felipe Bunes did not have a good debut in the Ultimate and was knocked out by Joshua Van in January 2024. In search of redemption and his first triumph in the organization, the fighter from Rio Grande do Norte measures forces with the North American Joseph Johnson on the preliminary card of UFC Vegas 101. The newly signed middleweight (up to 83,9 kg) Marcus Tullius, who joined the UFC roster after excelling on 'Dana White's Contender Series', will make his Octagon debut. The Uberlândia native will face the Ukrainian Ihor Potieria, who is going through a difficult time: he has suffered four defeats in his last five fights.
One of the most experienced Brazilians on the UFC roster, the lightweight (up to 70,3 kg.) Thiago Moses arrives at UFC Vegas 101 looking to move away from the inconsistent sequence of results he has faced in his last four appearances. To return to the path of triumph, the São Paulo native needs to overcome the American Trey Ogden, who arrives on the back of two consecutive victories. Also revealed in the 'Dana White's Contender Series', the flyweight (up to 56,7 kg) Nicole Caliari will make her debut in the organization after her submission victory over Corinne Laframboise in the 1st round. In her first commitment in the Ultimate, the athlete from Curitiba will face the Lithuanian Ernesta Kareckaite, dreaming of starting his journey into the octagon on the right foot.
Thiago Moses is one of the most experienced Brazilians in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC Brazil
Closing the Brazilian squad, in a fight on the preliminary card, Bruno Lopes will also make his octagon debut after impressing and earning his contract with the organization in the 'Dana White's Contender Series'. To start by impressing in the light heavyweight division (up to 93kg), 'Brunão' will seek the seventh knockout of his career against the Bahraini Magomed Gadzhiyasulov.
UFC Vegas 101: Dern vs. Ribas 2
Saturday, January 11 – UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Main Card – 21am
Straw weight (up to 52,1 kg): Mackenzie dern x Amanda ribas
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Santiago Ponzinibbio x Carlston Harris
Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Cesar Almeida x Abdul Razak Alhassan
Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Chris Curtis x Roman Kopylov
Featherweight (up to 65,7 kg): Christian rodriguez x Austin Bashi
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Punahele Soriano x Uros Medic
Preliminary Card – 18h
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Joseph Johnson x Felipe Bunes
Average weight (up to 83,9 kg): Marcus Tullius x Ihor Potieria
Light weight (up to 70,3 kg): James Moses x Trey Ogden
Welterweight (up to 77,1 kg): Preston Parsons x Jacobe Smith
Flyweight (up to 56,7 kg): Ernesta Kareckaite x Nicole Caliari
Light heavyweight (up to 93 kg): Magomed Gadzhiyasulov x Bruno Lopes
Straw weight (up to 52,1 kg): Fatima Kline x Viktoriia Dudakova
Light weight (up to 70,3 kg): Nurullo Aliev x Joe Solecki
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