Tag: Mackenzie Dern

Overreaction Time: Islam Makhachev and Merab Dvalishvili in control? Jiri Prochazka is back? More!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” on the fallout from UFC 311, Jon Jones’ negotiations with the UFC, and more.

The time for overreacting is here!

Check out the latest episode of “Overreaction Time” at noon ET/9 a.m. PT as host Simon Samano and MMA Junkie reporter Farah Hannoun debate these “overreactions” on the following topics in mixed martial arts:

  • Now is the PERFECT time for [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to leave the UFC lightweight division.
  • [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] is primed to remain UFC bantamweight champion for all of 2025.
  • [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] has new life as a UFC title contender, but it’s over for [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag].
  • If the UFC signs only one of these guys, it should be [autotag]Aaron Pico[/autotag] over [autotag]Patricio Freire[/autotag].
  • There’s no way the UFC pays [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag] $30 million to fight Tom Aspinall.
  • [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]’s chances of being UFC champion are still alive.

Watch the full episode in the video above.

Chael Sonnen criticizes UFC’s Mackenzie Dern for being ‘so unaware of the sport’

Chael Sonnen thinks Mackenzie Dern missed the mark by not calling for a title shot after UFC Vegas 101.

[autotag]Chael Sonnen[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] missed the mark by not calling for a title shot after UFC Fight Night 249.

Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) picked up her second-straight win when she submitted Amanda Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Round 3 of Saturday’s main event rematch at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Considering her jiu-jitsu accolades, Sonnen thinks Dern has failed to market herself properly.

“I could not go back over Mackenzie’s career and hand her one compliment on anything she’s done from an entertainment aspect,” Sonnen said on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Daniel Cormier. “I couldn’t tell you one time she had a microphone in her hand and turned it into a pipe bomb. I could not tell you one opportunity that she pushed everybody else aside and came and got it for herself.

“I could tell you before she made her UFC debut, a guy named Chael Sonnen called her to do a pure grappling match, straight up jiu-jitsu against somebody called Miesha Tate, who was one of the biggest names in the whole sport, and there was no amount of money to get Mackenzie on the airplane to do the match. Her reasoning? She wants to focus on MMA. So, I’m attempting to explain to her that if you want to break into MMA, this is Miesha Tate, come get your money, and she never did it.”

After avenging her 2019 loss to Ribas, which was the first of her career, Dern said she’s in no rush for a title shot. Although Dern has now headlined four UFC Fight Night events, Sonnen doesn’t think she’s capitalized enough from her popularity.

“She decides she needs to get better at jiu-jitsu, she leaves her father, Wellington ‘Megaton,’ one of the biggest stars there is, goes out with Jason Parillo in California and starts hitting mitts which got her nowhere than missing punches and blocking shots with her face,” Sonnen added. “I’ve never seen Mackenzie get it right. Everyone likes her, myself included, everyone seems to be rooting for her for reasons I really can’t explain to you, myself included.

“She looks like she does really care about this sport. She talks about some of her hardships and things outside the ring which do compel you very much to her, but as far as understanding what makes dollars has got to make sense, she doesn’t know what any of those words mean. I’ve never seen a second-generation athlete so unaware of the sport that’s going on around them.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Mackenzie Dern avenges loss, PFL’s major changes, UFC 311 preview, more

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel discusses Mackenzie Dern’s win, PFL’s major changes, UFC 311 and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • The first UFC event for 2025 is in the books. UFC Fight Night 249 saw [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] avenge her first professional loss to [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] in the main event. We break down the strawweight bout, along with other highlights from the card.
  • Two legends of the game have booked their returns to the octagon, as former UFC bantamweight champions [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] and [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] will fight – but not against each other – at UFC Fight Night 252. Cruz takes on Rob Font in the co-main event, and Cejudo fights Song Yadong in the main. We discuss the two matchups and the careers of the bantamweight legends.
  • PFL is making some changes. The promotion will no longer host its signature season-format tournaments, signaling a big shift for the company. The tournaments will not have a season, and they will be prospect-based, rather than having their marquee names. This is on top of the allowance of elbows, which were announced last week by PFL owner [autotag]Donn Davis[/autotag]. We react to the changes and discuss PFL’s potential year in 2025.
  • It’s fight week for UFC 311. The first UFC pay-per-view of the year goes down Saturday in Southern California. This card features two title fights, with [autotag]Islam Nurmagomedov[/autotag] defending his lightweight belt against [autotag]Armar Tsarukyan[/autotag] in a rematch, and [autotag]Merab Dvalishvili[/autotag] defending his bantamweight title against U[autotag]mar Nurmagomedov[/autotag]. We analyze the two championship fights, along with other key matchups on the card.

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Mick Maynard’s Shoes: What’s next for Mackenzie Dern after UFC Fight Night 249 win?

What does the future hold for UFC Vegas 101 main event winner Mackenzie Dern? We attempt to play matchmaker.

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] holds claim to the first UFC main event win of 2025 after emerging triumphant from her rematch with Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night 249.

Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) avenged the first loss of her career to Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) from October 2019 when she secured a third-round submission by armbar in the strawweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

It was an important win for Dern with the 115-pound title set to be contested with Zhang Weili vs. at UFC 312 on Feb. 8. But where does it leave her?

Watch the video above for thoughts and analysis on Dern’s future from MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn after UFC Fight Night 249.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

UFC Fight Night 249 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Santiago Ponzinibbio’s $16,000 leads

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program has now paid out more than $31 million to athletes since its deal began with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 249 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $173,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 249 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 249 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Santiago Ponzinibbio[/autotag]: $16,000
def. [autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Christian Rodriguez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Austin Bashi[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Punahele Soriano[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Uros Medic[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Felipe Bunes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Jose Johnson[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Marco Tulio[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ihor Potieria[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Thiago Moises[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Trey Ogden[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Jacobe Smith[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Preston Parsons[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Ernesta Kareckaite[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Nicolle Caliari[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Bruno Lopes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Magomed Gadzhiyasulov[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Fatima Kline[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Viktoriia Dudakova[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Nurullo Aliev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Joe Solecki[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2491 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2025 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

  • “UFC Fight Night 249: Dern vs. Ribas 2” – $173,500

Year-to-date total: $173,500
2024 total: $8,280,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $31,191,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

Mackenzie Dern explains why she’s in no rush for title – even after UFC Fight Night 249 win

In a world in which everyone is chomping at the bit for a UFC title opportunity, Mackenzie Dern is taking her time.

LAS VEGAS – In a world in which everyone is chomping at the bit for a UFC title opportunity, [autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] is taking her time.

Following her UFC Fight Night 249 win Saturday, Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) reaffirmed what she’d said pre-fight. She thinks another fight should come before a title opportunity.

“I think I’m very hard on myself,” Dern told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I’m always trying to get better. Even when I have a great performance, I think I did so many things wrong. I think that it’s a lot of play messing in your head, so it can take your journey and maybe make it a little longer.

“But I think in the end, it really helps you evolve to be the best fighter possible if you can really look back and have constructive criticism on yourself. My idea isn’t to go fight for the belt and then lose it fast. My idea is to get the belt, and I want to be a dominant champion. I’m not in a rush to get there. I want to have good fights and I want to make a statement.”

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Dern submitted Amanda Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Round 3 of the card’s main event. With champion Zhang Weili set to square off with Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in February, Virna Jandiroba is the only other contender in the public discourse as to who could be the following title challenger.

Regardless of if her next opponent is Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3) or someone else, Dern said improvement is the name of the game. Saturday’s fight-ending armbar made her proud of her advancements.

“I feel like the striking and everything is setting up more of my jiu-jitsu,” Dern said. “I feel like when I get a submission, it’s not because I was focusing on being a striker. But I think it means my striking and my takedowns are getting better. It’s giving me more opportunities to still get the fight to the ground.

“I’m always trying to get the fight to the ground. Every fight, I’m trying to get the fight to the ground. I think it just kind of shows more that the other areas are getting better when I get the submission.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

4 first-time UFC winners’ highlight-reel prelim finishes passed over for bonuses

There was plenty of competition for post-fight bonus awards at UFC Fight Night 249 – no question about it.

There was plenty of competition for post-fight bonus awards at UFC Fight Night 249 – no question about it.

In 14 fights at the promotion’s first event of 2025, there were nine finishes. Four of those nine came on the preliminary card at the UFC Apex, and all four were by fighters who won in the UFC for the first time. But five more finishes came on the main card, and those debuting fighters were left with their proverbial cheese out in the wind.

The UFC handed out four $50,000 bonuses after Saturday’s event in Las Vegas, all to fighters on the main card. Check out the winners below.

Performance of the Night: Cesar Almeida

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (L-R) Cesar Almeida of Brazil punches Abdul Razak Alhassan of Ghana in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Cesar Almeida def. Abdul Razak Alhassan via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:16

[autotag]Cesar Almeida[/autotag] (7-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) was knocked down by Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-7 MMA, 6-7 UFC) early in their fight on the main card. But he got back up, got his wits about him, then got into a firefight. He ate a whole bunch of punches right before he cocked back and threw a bomb, and it connected to put Alhassan out without the need for a follow-up. True, it’s the first major event of the year – but Alhassan fell and landed in the kind of way we’re likely to see again come December in the best-of-2025 conversation.

Fight of the Night: Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 11: (R-L) Roman Kopylov of Russia punches Chris Curtis in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on January 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Roman Kopylov def. Chris Curtis via TKO (head kick) – Round 3, 4:59

[autotag]Roman Kopylov[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) vs. [autotag]Chris Curtis[/autotag] (31-12 MMA, 5-4 UFC) was a straight-up slugfest, but it will go down in history for its statistically crazy ending. Kopylov drilled Curtis and put him on the canvas in the last few seconds. He started to walk away, and when Curtis looked up toward the referee, the fight was waved off – with one second left for a Kopylov TKO win. Kopylov likely was headed toward a decision win, but the stoppage took the judges out of the equation – much to Curtis’ dismay.

Performance of the Night: Mackenzie Dern

Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas, UFC Fight Night 249 (via UFC)

Mackenzie Dern def. Amanda Ribas via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:56

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) exacted a measure of revenge on Amanda Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) when she submitted her with a third-round armbar. Ribas beat Dern in their first fight in 2019, but that is like a lifetime in MMA. Dern seemed comfortable in the striking game, but when the fight hit the canvas she was always going to be in her world.

Passed-up bonus-eligible stoppages:

UFC Fight Night 249 results: Mackenzie Dern avenges Amanda Ribas loss with beautiful armbar submission

A thrilling first card on the UFC’s 2025 calendar ended with a beautiful finish.

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] checked a lot of boxes Saturday when she defeated [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] in the UFC Fight Night 247 main event.

Not only did Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) pull off her first stoppage since April 2021, she avenged a prior loss to Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) and solidified herself as a potential title challenger. Dern submitted Ribas with an armbar at 4:56 of Round 3 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Dern, 31, extended her winning streak to two as she put on a clinic in groundwork. The fight was not the most thrilling before the beautiful and technical set-up and finish. The opening two rounds were competitive with each judge having the fight 19-19 entering the third round.

With the defeat, Ribas falls into a two-fight skid and has lost three of her most recent four outings. Saturday’s defeat was the first submission loss of her professional career.

Saturday’s result solidifies an uncertain future for the women’s strawweight division beyond the upcoming Feb. 8 title fight between champion Zhang Weili and challenger Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312. Dern joins fellow contender Virna Jandiroba in the discussion as to who will be next after that.

Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 249 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

UFC Fight Night 249 social media reactions: Mackenzie Dern avenges loss, submits Amanda Ribas

The MMA community reacted to Mackenzie Dern becoming the first to submit Amanda Ribas in their UFC Vegas 101 rematch.

[autotag]Mackenzie Dern[/autotag] redeemed the first loss of her MMA career on Saturday in her UFC Fight Night 249 main event rematch with [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag].

After Ribas (12-6 MMA, 7-5 UFC) took her undefeated record in October 2019, Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) got the better of the rematch with a third-round submission victory in the strawweight headliner at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Dern beating Ribas at UFC Fight Night 249.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.

UFC Fight Night 249: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 249 odds between Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 5-round women’s strawweight bout in the main event, Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas battle at UFC Fight Night 249 Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s UFC odds around the UFC Fight Night 249: Dern vs. Ribas odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 4 p.m. ET, with the main card beginning at 7 p.m. ET. All events can be viewed or streamed on ESPN+.

Records: Dern (14-5-0) | Ribas (13-5-0)

Dern picked up a unanimous-decision win over Loopy Godinez in early August, rebounding back after consecutive losses to Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos. She suffered a Round 2 KO/TKO loss to Andrade, but she has ended up going the distance in 6 of the past 7 bouts.

Ribas lost via unanimous decision against Rose Namajunas last time out in late March, alternating losses and wins in the previous 8 fights. Like Dern, there haven’t been a lot of finishes lately, going the distance in 4 of the past 6 outings.

Both fighters are 31 years of age, with Ribas holding a 3-inch reach advantage. Ribas also has a 4.63-to-3.43 significant strikes landed per minute advantage and posts a 2.07 takedown average, to just 0.88 for Dern. The latter does have a 1.20 submission average, while Ribas has managed just a 0.65 mark.

Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here.

UFC Fight Night 249: Dern vs. Ribas odds

Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list UFC odds. Lines last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Dern +156 (bet $100 to win $156) | Ribas -186 (bet $186 to win $100)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes -200 | No +145)

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UFC Fight Night 249: Dern vs. Ribas picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Dern (+156) just hasn’t been able to score finishes in her career. So, in order to get victories, she must wow the judges and try to outpoint competitors. When she enters on the short end of the statistical categories, such as significant strikes landed per minute, takedown average and submission average, it’s a tall order for Dern to get the job done.

However, backing Ribas (-186) straight up is a little too expensive for a standalone bet. You must risk nearly 2 times your potential return, and that’s just too much risk for not enough reward.

Instead, look to RIBAS BY DECISION (-115) for a much better value.

Over/Under (O/U)

The Over/Under for rounds isn’t available for betting. And, you must risk 2 times your potential return for Yes (-200): Will the fight go the distance? That’s too much risk. Just focus on the Ribas method of victory as your only play in this main event.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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