Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas kick off the brand new 12 months with an outdated rivalry.
It’s been over 5 years since Dern and Ribas first fought in Tampa. Again then, Dern was the closely hyped prospect recognized for her Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors success, whereas Ribas was the well-regarded however lesser recognized underdog. Ribas was the higher lady that day, incomes a convincing unanimous determination over Dern, they usually now run it again in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 101 most important occasion.
Each fighters have been mainstays within the strawweight rankings—Dern is at present No. 8 at 115 kilos, whereas Ribas sits at No. 10—have struggled with consistency, although for various causes.
Dern’s prodigious grappling abilities have served her effectively for essentially the most half, although she has developed a fame for “by no means profitable the massive one,” as they are saying. She wins greater than she loses, however she’s faltered towards high contenders, together with Amanda Lemos, Jessica Andrade, and Yan Xiaonan, all fighters which have competed for UFC gold. Dern is but to point out that she’s deserving of the same alternative.
As for Ribas, she could also be a sufferer of her personal versatility, as she has steadily bounced between the strawweight and flyweight (Ribas can also be our No. 12 fighter at 125 kilos) divisions to. That recreation angle has allowed Ribas to remain busy and e book some marquee matchups, however the outcomes haven’t at all times been there as she’s alternated wins and losses in her previous eight fights.
Who steps as much as the plate Saturday to maintain themselves within the title image?
In different notable most important card motion, welterweight veterans Santiago Ponzinibbio and Carlston Harris face off within the penultimate bout of the night, Chris Curtis takes on Roman Kopylov in a fan-friendly middleweight matchup, and Christian Rodriguez seems to be to spoil the debut of blue-chip featherweight prospect Austin Bashi.
What: UFC Vegas 101
The place: UFC APEX in Las Vegas
When: Saturday, Jan. 11. The six-fight preliminary card begins at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, adopted by a six-fight most important card at 7 p.m. ET additionally on ESPN+.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
One other 12 months means one other probability for these of us who simply can’t stop the Mackenzie Dern expertise to speak by means of why we nonetheless consider she could be a championship contender.
However not this man. Idiot me seven occasions, disgrace on you; idiot me seven or extra occasions, disgrace on me.
I genuinely like Dern’s probabilities to avenge the Amanda Ribas loss, however a lot of that optimism relies on the concept she’s nonetheless enhancing and whereas we’ve seen some proof of that being true, there are nonetheless method too many moments throughout her fights the place we’re left scratching our heads at her techniques. That is her twentieth MMA struggle. At what level can we simply settle for she is who she is?
We all know what Ribas is. She’s an thrilling striker with a powerful floor recreation, actually prepared to struggle anybody at 125 and 115 kilos. The energetic Brazilian is saying all the appropriate issues about specializing in strawweight after ping-ponging between divisions the previous few years and I’m inclined to consider her. A targeted Ribas is a harmful Ribas.
Having 25 minutes to work with favors Ribas, as a result of whereas Dern can actually win a spherical or two together with her grappling, sustaining that during this most important occasion will show tough. And each failed shot will end in Ribas peppering her face with punches. It received’t be sufficient to complete the sturdy Dern, however it would put Ribas up 2-0 within the collection.
Decide: Ribas
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
Is there such a factor as a welterweight-y welterweight struggle? As a result of this might be it.
Props to the reserving crew for the age-appropriate matchmaking right here and with the Cesar Almeida-Abdul Razak Alhassan matchup, all that includes fighters 35 and up. It’s no GFL (*ba-dump-tsh*) nevertheless it’s at all times good to see revered veterans nonetheless getting a platform to carry out with out simply being fed to up-and-comers.
On this case, we’ve over 60 mixed fights between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Carlston Harris, with each males in want of a win to extend their careers. Ponzinibbio has misplaced two straight and 4 of his previous 5, whereas Harris is coming off of a brutal knockout loss to Khaos Williams.
This needs to be a placing duel with Ponzinibbio main the dance. It’s been a wrestle for Ponzinibbio so as to add to his knockout tally in recent times, with only one KO/TKO because the finish of 2018. Alongside the way in which he’s proven that he’s nonetheless a talented striker, he simply can’t faucet into that additional gear he as soon as had.
That’s nonetheless greater than could be mentioned for Harris, who has regarded sluggish in his most up-to-date outings. Harris has by no means been a speedster, nevertheless it seems to be like time has caught up with him as he’s misplaced any semblance of explosiveness. He’s going to spend a lot of this penultimate bout chasing Ponzinibbio and getting countered into oblivion.
Ponzinibbio by determination.
Decide: Ponzinibbio
Cesar Almeida vs. Abdul Razak Alhassan
Worst-case state of affairs with Cesar Almeida and Abdul Razak Alhassan, we get two bruisers dancing round for quarter-hour afraid to tug the set off. Let’s be constructive, although.
Alhassan’s greatest wager right here is to bull rush Almeida and never let him flip this right into a Okay-1 kickboxing match. Nearing 40, Alhassan may not have the burst velocity that he as soon as did, however he ought to nonetheless have loads to shut the gap. Whether or not he can keep away from a thudding counter from Almeida is one other query.
I feel Alhassan finds the appropriate second to strike, decking Almeida with an influence punch of his personal and placing him down on the mat. Ought to Almeida nonetheless have some struggle in him, Alhassan will observe with ground-and-pound and finish this struggle early.
Decide: Alhassan
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
When Jed Meshew and I have been recording No Bets Barred this week, I used to be shocked to listen to Chris Curtis was a greater than 2-to-1 underdog on most betting websites. The road has moved since, however Roman Kopylov continues to be significantly favored, which is absurd to me. What has “The Motion Man” achieved to deserve this disrespect?
Curtis may not be a world beater, however he’s persistently carried out effectively towards upper-tier competitors. He makes a speciality of defusing harmful strikers and wrestlers, so Kopylov doesn’t have a transparent path to victory. Nicely, exterior of the truth that Kopylov punches fairly rattling exhausting, which is a stable base for MMA.
I’ve to think about that’s why there’s a lot confidence in Kopylov. When he’s on, he seems to be like a reliable contender, and it’s potential he catches Curtis with just a few good pictures. The factor is, Curtis is near-impossible to place away and Kopylov hadn’t received a choice till his most up-to-date struggle. If this one goes to the playing cards, all indicators level to a Curtis win on factors.
That’s how I’ve obtained it, with Curtis outworking Kopylov for quarter-hour for the upset that received’t be thought-about an upset in my eyes.
Decide: Curtis
Christian Rodriguez vs. Austin Bashi
In case you haven’t seen, Christian Rodriguez has a knack for taking zeros.
Listed here are Rodriguez’s previous three wins and their information after they fought Rodriguez:
So Austin Bashi bettors, beware.
Bashi has impressed in his 13-0 begin, utilizing his brawny construct to out-wrestle opponents and bully them on the mat. He has all of the makings of a future featherweight contender, although one may say the identical about Rodriguez’s earlier challenges and look how these fights turned out.
One drawback with Rodriguez is that his wins and losses don’t inform the entire story. Sure, he beat Rosas and Saaiman, however he additionally missed weight for each of these fights. Sure, he was profitable in his featherweight debut towards Dulgarian, however he was then submitted inside a spherical by veteran Julian Erosa. Rodriguez has the body of a bantamweight, simply not the self-discipline to correctly reduce all the way down to that division.
All that’s to say I like Bashi’s possibilities of avoiding the pitfalls of the opposite fighters that put their undefeated information on the road towards Rodriguez. His aggression could have Rodriguez on the back-foot from second one and I don’t anticipate Bashi to fuel out like Rosas did.
Bashi wins a hard-fought determination.
Decide: Bashi
Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
Uros Medic is a wild man and one other stiff take a look at for Punahele Soriano in his new life at 170 kilos.
At 185, Soriano developed a fame as a slugger, however he needed to go to his wrestling in his welterweight debut to choose up a win over Miguel Baeza. That’s a very good signal for Soriano’s progress and a technique he might wish to make use of towards the at all times aggressive Medic.
To place it kindly, Medic hates judges. Has no use for them. Hasn’t seen a scorecard in his professional profession and sure doesn’t plan on doing so Saturday. He’ll come out swinging and the query is whether or not Soriano will meet him within the center or resolve to combine the martial arts and make this a extra tactical battle.
On condition that that is the primary card opener, I feel Soriano is on the hunt for a efficiency bonus and we’ll see him commerce arms with Medic. In that state of affairs, I like Medic to complete robust, even when Soriano attracts first blood early.
Give me Medic by knockout.
Decide: Medic
Prelims:
Jose Johnson def. Felipe Bunes
Marco Tulio def. Ihor Potieria
Thiago Moises def. Trey Ogden
Jacobe Smith def. Preston Parsons
Nicolle Caliari def. Ernesta Kareckaite
Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Bruno Lopes
Fatima Kline vs. Viktoriia Dudakova
Nurullo Aliev vs. Joe Solecki
