UFC: Mackenzie Dern beats Amanda Ribas five years later

Mackenzie Dern defeated Amanda Ribas on Saturday in the main event strawweight bout at the first UFC event of the year at the Apex in Vegas.

Dern avenged a loss to Ribas five years ago by submitting the Brazilian with four seconds left.

Dern (15-5) won by submission in the final moments of the third round thanks to his ground work.

Dern, 31, who began his UFC career in 2016, dominated 98-80 in punches.

Ribas (13-6) defeated Dern by decision in 2019. She succeeded in all six attempts to take Dern to the ground in that first meeting, giving her an advantage on kicks and ground strikes.

Ribas did a good job once again, but Dern managed to set up a submission and prevent his opponent from changing positions.

In the third attack, Ribas tried to take the initiative with a jab and shots to the ribs, while Dern looked to dodge. Dern wanted to take the fight to the ground, but Ribas resisted well to bring the battle to the fence.

Ribas then managed to gain some form of control, but Dern took the fight to the mat where she used her elbows to reach her rival.

Dern subsequently managed to control the arm of Ribas, who resisted before admitting defeat to the ground at the end of the third round.

This is a huge victory for Dern, who has resurfaced her skills against unranked fighters, but had difficulty stringing together victories against athletes who belong to the elite. Before the fight, Dern was sixth in the UFC hierarchy. Her two-game winning streak, including a decision win over Lupita Godinez in August, should help her rise.

For his part, Ribas was ranked eighth by UCF entering the weekend.