Undefeated strawweight prospect Mackenzie Dern will return to the Octagon for the first time in 14 months against Amanda Ribas on Oct. 12, multiple sources told ESPN.
Contracts have not yet been signed, but both sides have agreed to the matchup. The 115-pound contest will take place at UFC Fight Night event on ESPN+. The UFC has not yet announced a venue.
Dern, 26, has not fought since May 2018. She gave birth to her first child — a daughter, Moa — on June 9. Prior to the layoff, Dern had built good momentum with wins over Ashley Yoder and Amanda Cooper in a two-month span.
A decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist, Dern is 7-0 since transitioning to MMA in 2016.
Ribas (7-1) is coming off an impressive submission victory over Emily Whitmire in her UFC debut in June. That bout took place at UFC Fight Night in Minneapolis. Originally from Brazil, Ribas trains at American Top Team in Florida.
A strawweight bout between Joanna Jedrzejczyk (15-3) and Michelle Waterson (17-6) is scheduled to headline UFC Fight Night on Oct. 12.