Undefeated Prospect Mackenzie Dern Set For October Return Against Amanda Ribas
Grappling ace Mackenzie Dern is set to end her seventeen-month hiatus from the Octagon this October, as she clashes with recent promotion debutante Amanda Ribas in a strawweight contest. 7-0 rising star Dern recently gave birth to her first child, Moa, and returns to the mixed-martial-arts world looking to maintain her undefeated professional record.
Currently 2-0 in the UFC since her debut last March, Dern has overcome both Ashley Yoder, and in a controversial submission, stopped Amanda Cooper. The ADCC and no-gi World Champion tipped the scales at 123 pounds for the 115-pound affair with the bout now subsequently forced at a catchweight. Dern later explained how to fight week distraction and travel delays were to blame for the botched weight cut. On fight night, the grappling predominant Dern knocked Cooper down with a good combination, before setting up a rear-naked choke, her first finish in the promotion. October opponent Ribas, recently made her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut this year, scoring an eye-catching submission over Emily Whitmire, extending her résumé to 7-1.
This exciting clash is a meeting of two highly regarded prospects and noteworthy grapplers, with a victory for either bolstering their rankings in the deep strawweight division. Fellow strawweight contenders clash on the same night, with former division best Joanna Jedrzejczyk meeting one-time Invicta FC atomweight gold holder Michelle Waterson, with the strikers expected to headline the Fight Night event, with a venue still to be determined.
Senior writer for FightBook MMA. An aspiring mixed martial arts reporter based in Ireland. Producer of news articles, interviews, opinion features, and exclusive features such as, ‘The Fallout’, ‘The Breakdown, and, ‘This Week In MMA’.
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