UFC kicked off 2025 in style with a thrilling fight night in Las Vegas, headlined by Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. In a nail-biting main event, Dern delivered a dramatic last-minute finish to secure the win in a rematch five years in the making. The grappling masterclass on display was deserving of a main event and the fighters were also compensated accordingly for it.
According to reports, she earned an estimated $400k show, $100k win bonus, and $20k sponsorship for her efforts tonight, taking home a cool $520,000 for her efforts. Ribas, on the other hand, got $325k to show, and another $100k as a win bonus complimented by a $15k sponsorship, walking away with a total of $340,000.
The fight began with Dern landing a crisp leg kick, followed by an exchange of combinations as Ribas pressed forward. Midway through the opening round, Dern managed to take her to the ground and spent the rest of the round in the top position, though Ribas did a solid job minimizing the damage. Round one edged slightly in Dern’s favor.
In the second round, Ribas took control, reversing a takedown attempt to end up on top. She stayed busy with punches to the body and head, but Dern managed to reverse her late in the round. Still, the frame likely went to Ribas.
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After two rounds of back and forth, the 6th ranked Dern (14-5) found a way from under Ribas’ mount and reversed it into an armbar. Despite initially trying to resist it, Ribas had to tap, giving Dern the win with seconds to spare in the third round.
McGregor calls for trilogy fight
With the score now settled at 1-1 after this intense battle that could have gone either way, this rivalry could finally be put to rest. Dern sighed in relief during her post-fight interview and claimed that she was just happy to get this monkey off her back.
Mackenzie Dern gets Redemption and the Series goes to 1-1!!!#DernvsRibas pic.twitter.com/gJBiwWl6Vc
— TGLM-Sports (@TGLMSports) January 12, 2025
However, former lightweight champion Conor McGregor was so impressed by what he saw that he wants to watch it again.
Great fight! Awesome showcase! @MackenzieDern @amandaribasufc, an excellent rivalry between the two Brazilians! So good! 1 a piece now, I would definitely love to see this trilogy! #AwesomeMMA
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 12, 2025
However, at this point, he might be the only one calling for it. Dern seems to have come a long way since the two first fought in 2019. Back then Dern was new to the promotion and took on Ribas despite admittedly being ill-prepared for it.
Since then, both fighters have navigated the competitive strawweight division, with Dern particularly focusing on refining her skills and overcoming personal challenges. She looked far more comfortable on her feet this time around.
She also seemed a lot more patient and instead of going for throws and takedowns from the get-go, let herself get a feel of the fight before diving in headfirst. This led to her finishing the fight with 2 rounds to go, and in the process becoming the first to defeat Ribas by submission.
With this win, Dern has now proven that she can truly hang with the top fighters of the division and firmly establish herself as a potential title contender.
