In a thrilling main event at UFC Vegas 101, Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist Mackenzie Dern secured a dramatic submission victory over Amanda Ribas, evening the score between the two strawweight contenders. The finish came via armbar with just four seconds remaining in the third round, demonstrating Dern’s continued evolution as a martial artist.
Mackenzie Dern uses the omoplata to get on top
Neat! pic.twitter.com/Be84UZSBHR
— William – Open Note Grappling 📝 (@OpenNoteGrapple) January 12, 2025
Despite the impressive win, Dern maintains a measured approach to her career progression, expressing that she doesn’t feel ready for an immediate title shot.
“I think I’m very hard on myself,”
she explained, suggesting that this self-awareness contributes to her continued growth in MMA.
— clips (@MMAclips4u) January 12, 2025
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) January 12, 2025
Former two-division champion Conor McGregor praised both competitors on social media, highlighting the potential for a trilogy bout. While this possibility looms, Dern has also expressed interest in pursuing opportunities outside the octagon.
Exploring Alternative Competitions
Following her victory, Dern revealed interest in participating in another Craig Jones Invitational (CJI) event. However, she acknowledged potential obstacles, noting,
“I’d be down for sure… but I know the UFC has the last time I fought Craig Jones they’re like you got to fight our event here.”
Dern sees value in these alternative competitions as platforms for growing the sport.
“I think [Craig Jones] reaches a lot of different people… one of the reasons I came to MMA was to try and spread Jiu-Jitsu to people maybe who never even seen martial arts,”
she explained.
ADCC Compensation Discussion
In a broader conversation about competitive grappling, Dern offered candid insights about compensation in prestigious tournaments like ADCC. She pointed out that despite ADCC’s growth since 1996, the prize money has remained relatively stagnant:
“ADCC has been since 1996… basically the same purse for I don’t know, I miss that day in school, I’m not good at math, but it’s like I think 20 years or something… it’s like going to T-Mobile Arena but the athletes are getting paid the same”
While acknowledging ADCC’s prestigious status, Dern highlighted the financial challenges for competitors:
“I’d have to do like four fights with top-level girls, each fight could be 15 minutes, and the final could be up to 40 minutes… for like $5,000 or $10,000.”
Despite these criticisms, Dern maintains respect for ADCC’s legacy, noting that
“the weight of the title is amazing… for all of us Grapplers growing up to be one day ADCC Champion… there’s nothing compared to it.”
Her comments reflect a growing conversation in the grappling community about balancing tradition with fair athlete compensation.
