Mackenzie Dern checked a lot of boxes Saturday when she defeated Amanda Ribas in the UFC Fight Night 247 main event.
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.
Dern, 31, extended her winning streak to two as she put on a clinic in groundwork. The fight was not the most thrilling before the beautiful and technical set-up and finish. The opening two rounds were competitive with each judge having the fight 19-19 entering the third round.
AN EMPHATIC FINISH FOR MACKENZIE DERN 💪 #UFCVEGAS101 pic.twitter.com/w8IeCMxIHM
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 12, 2025
With the defeat, Ribas falls into a two-fight skid and has lost three of her most recent four outings. Saturday’s defeat was the first submission loss of her professional career.
Saturday’s result solidifies an uncertain future for the women’s strawweight division beyond the upcoming Feb. 8 title fight between champion Zhang Weili and challenger Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312. Dern joins fellow contender Virna Jandiroba in the discussion as to who will be next after that.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 249 results include:
- Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:56
- Santiago Ponzinibbio def. Carlston Harris via TKO (punches) – Round 3, 3:13
- Cesar Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:16
- Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis via TKO (head kick) – Round 3, 4:59
- Christian Rodriguez def. Austin Bashi via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Punahele Soriano def. Uros Medic via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 0:31
- Felipe Bunes def. Jose Johnson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:04
- Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 3:04
- Thiago Moises def. Trey Ogden via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:13
- Ernesta Kareckaite def. Nicolle Caliari via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
- Bruno Lopes def. Magomed Gadzhiyasulov via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Fatima Kline def. Viktoriia Dudakova via TKO (elbows) – Round 2, 4:27
- Nurullo Aliev def. Joe Solecki via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.
