MacKenzie Dern is set to make her return to competition in her first fight since her pregnancy when she takes on Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN+ 19 (UFC San Francisco). News of the strawweight bout was originally reported by ESPN.
Mackenzie Dern is one of the most heralded prospects at 115, currently boasting an undefeated 7-0 record. Dern’s UFC debut was a bit shaky, with Dern picking up a split-decision victory over Ashley Yoder, but her follow-up performance left no doubt on who was the superior competitor when she defeated Amanda Cooper via rear-naked choke in the first round. Dern is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who had an acclaimed grappling career prior to making the move to mix martial arts. Dern took time off after announcing her pregnancy last year, and after giving birth to a healthy baby girl, Dern is ready to get right back to work making a name for herself in MMA as she said she would.
Amanda Ribas also has seven victories, with only one loss on her record. Something else Ribas has in common with Dern is that she, too, is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, so fans can expect Ribas to be unintimidated of Dern’s grappling accolades. Ribas had a successfully UFC debut at UFC Minneapolis when she put her jiu-jitsu skills on display at the expense of Emily Whitmore, earning a rear-naked choke victory in the second round of the contest.
UFC on ESPN+19 takes place October 12, 2019 from the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Thus far, the only other bout announced for the card is also a strawweight contest, which will be between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Michelle Waterson.
Which strawweight prospect do you think will get the W at UFC on ESPN+ 19? Mackenzie Dern or Amanda Ribas?
