Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace, Mackenzie Dern — at present ranked No. 6 on this planet at 115 kilos — is among the extra attention-grabbing attainable title challengers within the Strawweight ranks. As a completely elite grappler with unbelievable ending capability, she’s by no means actually out of a combat. If she finds her manner into high place, she will put anybody in peril, and that features Zhang Weili, the dominant divisional queen who’s wanting fairly onerous to topple for the time being.
The issue is that Dern at occasions additionally looks like she may lose to simply about anybody within the High 15 as effectively. Her place within the division — within the title talks however not significantly near being handed the chance — has remained pretty static regardless of turbulent performances and inconsistent ends in precise fights.
It’s actually onerous to know what Dern will present up on combat night time. She was wanting title shot-ready in 2023 till she walked into each punch Jessica Andrade threw, getting obliterated by a former champion who was within the midst of a dropping streak. The demoralizing loss might be partially blamed on Dern ditching her boxing coach beforehand, a mistake that has since been rectified.
The irritating half is that Dern’s points and strengths stay the identical even because the performances themselves range. She’s a masterful grappler with appreciable grit who can throw a imply proper hand. Elite fighters have achieved much more with quite a bit much less! On the similar time, these flaws in her footwork, wrestling, and putting protection routinely pop up. If she’s unable to sway the combat again into her areas of energy, she will look downright novice at occasions.
In some ways, Amanda Ribas was the primary to display Dern’s flaws. Again in 2019, she handed Dern her first skilled loss by efficiently sprawling-and-brawling her method to a unanimous determination nod. Like Dern, she’s struggled with discovering constant success towards the cream of the crop, alternating wins and losses in her final seven bouts towards High 10 opposition.
Six years later, these athletes will rematch within the first most important occasion of 2025. Dern has an ideal alternative right here to display her progress and show some consistency. If she will persistently floor Ribas or rattle her chin standing, it’s sturdy proof that her profession and expertise are shifting in the proper route. Victory right here may land right here a title eliminator subsequent, presumably towards the likes of streaking former foe Virna Jandiroba.
It’s an actual take a look at for Ribas as effectively. The Brazilian expertise undoubtedly hamstrings herself a bit by leaping between two weight lessons. Her identify has by no means carried fairly as a lot hype as Dern, however a second win over the jiu-jitsu ace will definitely assist construct momentum in a reasonably open title image.
With each of their prime at 31 years of age, the stakes are excessive. A method or one other, the Dern vs. Ribas rematch ought to inform us quite a bit about the place every girl goes from right here and actually assist form the Strawweight panorama.
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