Amanda Ribas weighs in for her fight against Emily Whitmire in June 2019. PhotoCred: FanSided
Amanda Ribas: Proving she belongs
Amanda Ribas is a curious fighter.
Author of some very nice wins and some head scratching losses, she faces Mackenzie Dern this weekend. Headlining UFC Vegas 101, Ribas will look to seize the opportunity presented this weekend.
The rematch with Mackenzie Dern is a rematch from the two’s meeting from 2019. Both fighters have improved and the stakes are much, much higher this time around.
Why is Amanda Ribas rematching Mackenzie Dern?
Amanda Ribas is taking on Mackenzie Dern for her ranking. Dern is ranked sixth and Ribas, who is coming off of a short notice loss to Rose Namajunas at 125, needs a win. With Ribas being ranked eight in the strawweight division, beating Dern again would put her even closer to the top five of the division.
Theres much to lose, sure. Ribas has already beat Dern. She shouldn’t have to prove herself again. But now she finds herself behind Dern and with their history, Ribas knows she can beat her previous foe.
Winning will arguably not get Ribas that much closer to the title despite the ranking difference. But Ribas hasn’t specifically struggled at 115.
The woes are not as they seem
Amanda Ribas sits with a professional record at 13-5. Of those losses, one too place outside the UFC and three of the remaining were at flyweight. Ribas is a natural strawweight.
Her lone loss was to Marina Rodriguez in 2021. That loss has not aged particularly well. But Ribas has beat Virna Jandiroba, which has aged well, immediately after that.
In an opportunistic position, Ribas can offer tons of fresh matchups for the rest of the top ten. Xiaonan Yan and Jessica Andrade are good future matchups for Amanda Ribas that are fresh.
The fork in the road is now before Amanda Ribas. Will she allow Mackenzie Dern to avenge her loss and continue her rise and improvement? Or will Ribas stand her ground and take the step up in competition seriously?
Winning this weekend is huge for Ribas, as it is for all fighters. Ribas is still fighting her way into the division, into the top five. Beating Dern will show that the first fight was not a fluke. It will show that she is among the best of the best. The task is at hand.
