Ten Month Layoff Was Strategic [Video]

Las Vegas — Brazilian strawweight Amanda Ribas headlines the first event of 2025 for the UFC, her second main event spot overall for the company and coincidentally one featuring her second fight against BJJ standout Mackenzie Dern.

The fight also marks the end of a ten-month layoff for Ribas (13-5), a sort of mini-vacation from the sport that was very much intentional.

“That was a strategy of my team, because I was getting a lot of fights. And this was good for me, recovering my body, and for recovering that feeling,” Ribas told media outlets including Cageside Press at Wednesday’s UFC Vegas 101 media day on Wednesday. “I missed fighting, I love fighting. My last fight was in March, so I still think ten months without a fight, [I was like] ‘oh my goodness, I need to fight, I need to fight.’”

“I think this point [made] me more dangerous,” …