Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas went into last Saturday's UFC main event one spot apart in the ESPN strawweight rankings. Dern scored a submission win to secure her spot in the top 10, and Ribas was impressive enough even in defeat that she held onto her position, too.

The first UFC event of 2025 took place this past weekend when UFC Vegas 101 went down in the world’s most famous APEX. Though the card was a wee bit maligned heading into the weekend, UFC Vegas 101 ended up being a pretty fun time,

Mackenzie Dern is building the momentum that has eluded her. For the first time in four years, Dern has consecutive wins. The decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star weaponized her grappling to hand Amanda Ribas her first submission loss at UFC Fight Night on Saturday.

Not only did Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) pull off her first stoppage since April 2021, she avenged a prior loss to Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) and solidified herself as a potential title challenger. Dern submitted Ribas with an armbar at 4:56 of Round 3 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern defeated Amanda Ribas via armbar with just four seconds remaining in the third round in the headliner of UFC's first event of 2025 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

Mackenzie Dern faces Amanda Ribas in a rematch in the main event of UFC Vegas 101. Dern looked back on that first fight before Saturday's UFC Fight Night.

In a world in which everyone is chomping at the bit for a UFC title opportunity, Mackenzie Dern is taking her time. Following her UFC Fight Night 249 win Saturday, Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) reaffirmed what she'd said pre-fight.

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