UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2 – Ranking Shakeups

UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2 brought exciting finishes and meaningful changes to the Fight Minds rankings. Let’s dive into the key movements across divisions.

Strawweight Division: Mackenzie Dern on the Rise

Mackenzie Dern showcased her elite grappling in the main event, submitting Amanda Ribas via armbar in the third round. This performance avenged her previous loss and solidified her position as a top contender. Dern moved up one spot to #6 in the strawweight rankings, surpassing Amanda Lemos.

Middleweight Division: Roman Kopylov Gains Ground

Roman Kopylov delivered an incredible head-kick KO over Chris Curtis, with just one second left on the clock. This victory earned Kopylov a new ranking spot at #12, pushing down Shara Magomedov, Gregory Rodrigues, and Jack Hermansson one place each.

Welterweight Division: Ponzinibbio Climbs After Controversial Win

In a closely contested co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio defeated Carlston Harris via TKO in the third round. While some questioned the referee’s stoppage, the victory propelled Ponzinibbio into the rankings, shaking up the division.

Preliminary Highlights: Rising Stars Shine

Cesar Almeida delivered a highlight-reel KO against Abdul Razak Alhassan, signaling his potential to break into the middleweight rankings soon. Meanwhile, Jacobe Smith made an emphatic debut, knocking out Preston Parsons in the prelims.

These ranking changes set the tone for an exciting 2025. Stay tuned for more updates as Fight Minds continues to provide data-driven analysis of MMA’s evolving landscape.