It’s time to get straight back to business for the UFC as the first fight card of 2025 goes down in Las Vegas this weekend.
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas Main Card Preview
Time moves quickly in the chaotic world of MMA…except during the UFC’s winter break. By the time the action gets underway under the lights in the Apex this Saturday night, four weeks will have passed since we saw Joaquin Buckley defeat former welterweight title contender Colby Covington in the final main event of 2024.
For eager fans the world over those four weeks may have felt like a lifetime, but the wait is finally over. Let’s take a look at the fights that make up the main card of the first UFC event of the new year.
Main Event: Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas
A top ten clash in the women’s strawweight division headlines the card as Mackenzie Dern (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) and Amanda Ribas (13-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) meet inside the Octagon for the second time. The pair first locked horns way back in October of 2019, with Ribas emerging victorious on that occasion by way of unanimous decision.
Both fighters were relatively inexperienced when they met that night in Tampa, with the bout being just Ribas’s second appearance in the UFC, and Dern’s third. Both have enjoyed decent runs of form at times within the promotion since but have stuttered of late, with each fighter losing three of their last five fights.
Mackenzie Dern’s last appearance in the Octagon came in August when she beat Loopy Godinez by unanimous decision in Abu Dhabi, although the former Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion did see some more competitive action later that same month when she faced Ffion Davies in a grappling match at the Craig Jones Invitational, losing by armbar.
Amanda Ribas will be coming off a slightly longer layoff. The 31-year-old hasn’t fought since losing against former champion Rose Namajunas in a flyweight contest last March.
With strawweight champion Weili Zhang lined up to face number one contender Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 next month, the time is now for the rest of the chasing pack at 115 lbs to find some form, string some performances (and wins) together and throw their hat in the ring for the next title shot. The Dern vs. Ribas fight will be among the ones to watch on Saturday.
Dern vs. Ribas Co-Main Event: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Carlston Harris
Right before Dern vs. Ribas, a potential fight of the night candidate between two veterans takes place in the welterweight division as 38-year-old Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) takes on 37-year-old Carlston Harris (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
Ponzinibbio comes into this fight in desperate need of a win. The “Argentine Dagger” has found the going quite tough of late, losing four of his last five bouts. After a promising beginning to his UFC career where he picked up victories over stellar opponents such as Sean Strickland, Gunnar Nelson, Mike Perry and Neil Magny, the American Top Team representative will be hoping to redicover some of the magic that has helped him pick up six KO wins in his UFC career so far.
Carlston Harris tasted just 90 seconds of competitive action in 2024, as he suffered a first-round knockout defeat at the hands of Khaos Williams last May. Prior to that however, “Mocambique” had won four of his first five fights in the UFC with his only defeat during that run coming at the hands of Shavkat Rakhmonov.
Harris is known as somewhat of a submission specialist and has a penchant for anacaonda and d’arce chokes and the Guyana-born star would love nothing more than becoming the first fighter to ever submit Santiago Ponzinibbio this Saturday night.
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Cesar Almeida
Another pair of elder statesmen, this time in the middleweight division, also meet on the Dern vs. Ribas main card as 39-year-old Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) takes on 36-year-old Cesar Almeida (6-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC).
Alhassan announced his arrival in the UFC back in 2016 by winning four of his first five fights in the Octagon all inside the opening round. His devastating power proved too much for the likes of Charlie Ward and Sabah Homasi to handle, but once he began to face a higher quality of opponent he began to struggle. Having lost five out of seven bouts between 2020-2023, he could have done without his fight against Cody Brundage last july turning out the way it did.
Alhassan unleashed a barrage of elbows on Brundage as he was defending a takedown, with quite a few landing on the back of Brundage’s head. After referee dan Miragliotta intervened to issue Alhassan a warning, Brundage was deemed unable to continue and the bout was declared a “no contest”.
Cesar Almieda comes into this saturday’s card off the back of a busy 2024. The Dana White’s Contender Series alumni picked up wins over Dylan Budka and Ihor Potieria, either side of a defeat to Roman Kopylov. The Sao Paulo native is a relative newcomer to MMA but has had a long and storied career in the kickboxing ring. He faced current UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira three times from 2013 to 2015, picking up a victory over “Poatan” in his hometown eleven years ago.
Chris Curtis vs. Roman Kopylov
More middleweight action takes place on the Dern vs. Ribas main card as “The Action Man” Chris Curtis (31-11 MMA, 5-3 UFC) gets his first taste of action since a defeat at the hands of Brendan Allen last April. He faces Roman Kopylov (13-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) who has won five of his last six bouts, including that aforementioned split decision win over Cesar Almeida in 2024.
Curtis has struggled to string wins together of late but holds noteable victories over Brendan Allen, Rodolfo Viera and Joaquin Buckley, and on his day can be a tricky opponent for anyone at 185 lbs.
Austin Bashi vs. Christian Rodriguez
Unbeaten featherweight prospect Austin Bashi (13-0) makes the walk to the Octagon during Dern vs. Ribas for the first time following his submission victory over Dorian Ramos on Dana White’s Contender Series in September. Bashi brings a strong grappling pedigree into this contest, but faces a stiff test in Christian Rodriguez (13-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) who, prior to his most recent loss at the hands of Julian Erosa, had won four fights on the bounce.
Punahele Soriano vs. Uros Medic
The Dern vs. Ribas main card opener features two welterweights who have been busy collecting KO victories inside the Octagon over the past couple of years. Out of Hawaii’s Punahele Soriano (10-4 MMA, 4-4 UFC) and Serbia’s Uros Medic’s (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) eight combined UFC victories, seven have come by way of knockout. Expect fireworks.
