This past Saturday in the main event of UFC Vegas 73, we saw a big time matchup in the strawweight division. Angela Hill (15-13) was looking for a huge win to move her up the rankings meanwhile Mackenzie Dern (13-3) was looking to get back on track with a big win.
After a hot start inside the octagon, Dern was just 1-2 in her last three entering UFC Vegas 73. Many, including myself, figured that she needed to get the fight to the ground. Angela Hill has a great volume striking attack and that area of the game has always been a weakness for Dern.
However, on Saturday night, Dern looked like a complete martial artist. She dominated the fight really wherever it went. In the later rounds, she got things to the ground and was transitioning from submission attempts to brutal ground and pound.
To Hill’s credit, she was able to survive. Her submission defense held up and the referee gave her the ability to survive from getting blasted with elbows. However, that toughness doesn’t get you a win and in the end, Mackenzie Dern won a lopsided decision at UFC Vegas 73.
Who is next after UFC Vegas 73?
This was the best performance of Mackenzie Dern’s UFC career. Her grappling and striking both looked tremendous. This version of Mackenzie Dern definitely looks like a fighter who could challenge for the strawweight title.
There were a lot of questions about how she’d do on Saturday given everything she said she was going through, but she answered all the questions emphatically. Not too mention, she had the perfect callout after Saturday night.
Dern said she’d love the chance to fight former UFC champion Rose Namajunas. Right now, it’s not clear when Namajunas will return to the octagon, but Dern is the perfect opponent. This one is not difficult, this is the fight the promotion should look to make.