Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas are set to headline the first UFC main event of 2025, marking their second meeting in the Octagon. Their first fight in ‘19 ended in a unanimous decision victory for Ribas, but both fighters have made significant progress in their careers since then. Both Ribas and Dern spoke with Sports Illustrated’s Doug Vazquez ahead of their bout this weekend.
For Dern, this fight represents an opportunity to showcase her growth as a fighter and to address the challenges she faced during her first encounter with Ribas. Dern has openly discussed the difficulties of competing while dealing with postpartum complications after the birth of her daughter Moa, which she believes impacted her performance negatively in their initial meeting. “When I fought Amanda five years ago I was still a new mother and very much in ‘Mom-ish’ mode, still breastfeeding and dealing with hormones. Now that she is 5 years old, it’s a lot easier because she wants to go to the gym with me and be by my side.”
Outside of fighting, Dern is a huge dog lover and she spoke about the role her dogs play in her life, describing them as a source of comfort and motivation in her journey as both a fighter and a mother. Mac, a massive Cane Corso, accompanied her to Las Vegas to provide emotional support during fight week and was the star of media day.
Ribas, meanwhile, has established herself as a versatile and dynamic fighter and one that will never shy away when the UFC calls to offer a fight, evidenced by the fact that she accepted a rematch with Dern after beating her handily 5 years ago. Ribas, one of only two fighters on the roster that is ranked in two different divisions, has expressed her intent to focus exclusively on the strawweight division, with the ultimate goal of capturing the title. Ribas acknowledged her respect for Dern while expressing confidence that she has evolved as a fighter since their last fight. “I’m committed to this division and to becoming the best and winning the belt. Facing Mackenzie again is a big step towards that.”
This rematch has the potential to be a title eliminator with the winner fighting whoever comes out victorious between the Weili Zhang and Tatiana Suarez championship fight scheduled for UFC 312 on Feb. 8.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mackenzie Dern, Amanda Ribas Poised to Renew Rivalry in First Main Event of 2025.
