Amanda Ribas expects a different Mackenzie Dern in UFC Vegas 101 rematch

A women's strawweight bout headlines the fight UFC event of 2025 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.  Sixth ranked Mackenzie Dern (14-5) takes on eighth ranked Amanda Ribas (13-5) in a rematch.  

The two first fought UFC Fight Night 161 in October 2019.  Ribas handed Dern her first career loss.  Six years removed from their first meeting, Ribas accepted the rematch for the opportunity to get closer to a title fight.  

"This fight is really important for me and for her because we already fought against Virna [Jandiroba].  She is No. 3, so for me, in my mind, if I win this fight I can go to another fight and then to the belt.  So it's real important," Ribas told Sherdog.com.  

In their first fight, Ribas won every round defeating Dern by unanimous decision.  Heading into Saturday's rematch, Ribas knows they are both different fighters than they were in 2019.    

"I know we are both different fighters.  I saw that she's getting better in boxing, so I can expect her faster," Ribas said.  "I am different too.  We're working really hard."

"I see this fight going different because my punch is harder.  I know that.  I know that I'm kicking more.  I'm training a lot of takedowns too and how to defend that takedowns because in the first fight she almost took me down," Ribas continued.  "This (fight) I know this will be different because we are different athletes."  

Ribas will enter the rematch coming off a decision loss to former champion Rose Namajunas in a flyweight bout.  Dern snapped a two-fight skid in her last outing, defeating Loopy Godinez via decision.