Amanda Ribas breaks silence after submission loss to Mackenzie Dern in UFC Vegas 101 rematch
01/12/2025 02:16 PM
Strawweight contender Amanda Ribas issued her first remarks since a submission defeat to Mackenzie Dern in the first UFC main event of 2025.
Amanda Ribas and Mackenzie Dern treated fight fans to a long-awaited, entertaining main event to kick off the 2025 UFC slate. It was a back-and-forth battle for as long as the fight lasted with both strawweights involved in wild scrambles on the ground throughout the action.
Ribas defeated Dern in their first matchup earlier in their careers by unanimous decision. But this time around, Dern got her revenge as she submitted Ribas with an armbar in the closing seconds of Round 3.
After a disappointing loss at UFC Vegas 101, Ribas didn’t take long to address her following on her social media platforms.
Amanda Ribas speaks on UFC Vegas 101 rematch loss to Mackenzie Dern
In a recent Instagram post, Ribas reacted to her disappointing performance at UFC Vegas 101.
“Off to the next one!” Ribas said. “Thanks to all the support, messages, and barbeques you’ve done.”
Ribas’s setback at UFC Vegas 101 was her third loss over her last four fights. After a spinning wheel kick knockout over Luana Pinheiro in Nov. 2023, Ribas fell to Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision last March in her flyweight return.
Ribas has switched between strawweight and flyweight during her UFC tenure and moved back down to 115lbs following the defeat to Namajunas. She’s defeated Virna Jandiroba, Paige VanZant, and Viviane Araujo during her promotional tenure.
Mackenzie Dern makes a strong case for a title shot at UFC Vegas 101
Meanwhile, Dern moved one step closer to a strawweight title shot with the victory over Ribas. The 31-year-old has won three of her last five fights and entered UFC Vegas 101 off of a lopsided win over Loopy Godinez in August.
Dern and Ribas could potentially clash for a future trilogy fight, depending on their looming trajectories. UFC superstar Conor McGregor made a strong case for the trilogy fight after UFC Vegas 101.
UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili will return next month at UFC 312 against undefeated contender Tatiana Suarez. The Weili vs. Suarez winner could potentially face Dern for the next strawweight title fight.
Despite the setback to begin 2025, Ribas remains an intriguing part of the strawweight title picture. Her versatility makes her a contender to watch as she looks to bounce back from the Dern loss.
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