UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · Oct 01, 2022 · Women's Strawweight · Completed
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan Next Fight
Age 36
Height 5' 5"
Reach 63.0"
Weight 115 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Age 33
Height 5' 4"
Reach 63.0"
Weight 115 lbs.
Stance Orthodox
Career Averages - Yan Xiaonan
4.69 SLpM
45.0% Str. Acc.
3.23 SApM
60.0% Str. Def.
0.84 TD Avg
73.0% TD Acc.
64.0% TD Def.
0.0 Sub. Avg
Career Averages - Mackenzie Dern
3.47 SLpM
41.0% Str. Acc.
3.93 SApM
51.0% Str. Def.
0.93 TD Avg
18.0% TD Acc.
37.0% TD Def.
1.1 Sub. Avg
Yan Xiaonan - Fight History
LOSS vs Virna Jandiroba
Decision R3 5:00 · UFC 314: Volkanovski vs. Lopes · Apr 12, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Yan Xiaonan 0 17 of 44 38% 64 of 103 0 of 0 --- 0 1 0:27
Virna Jandiroba 0 11 of 20 55% 96 of 131 3 of 11 27% 3 1 9:59
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Yan Xiaonan 0 6 of 17 35% 31 of 50 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Virna Jandiroba 0 4 of 9 44% 18 of 31 1 of 5 20% 0 0 3:03
2 Yan Xiaonan 0 4 of 6 66% 14 of 20 0 of 0 --- 0 1 0:27
Virna Jandiroba 0 0 of 1 0% 40 of 51 1 of 1 100% 2 1 4:14
3 Yan Xiaonan 0 7 of 21 33% 19 of 33 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Virna Jandiroba 0 7 of 10 70% 38 of 49 1 of 5 20% 1 0 2:42
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Yan Xiaonan 17 of 44 38% 13 of 34 3 of 7 1 of 3 12 of 38 0 of 0 5 of 6
Virna Jandiroba 11 of 20 55% 11 of 20 0 of 0 0 of 0 8 of 16 0 of 1 3 of 3
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Yan Xiaonan 6 of 17 35% 4 of 11 2 of 4 0 of 2 5 of 16 0 of 0 1 of 1
Virna Jandiroba 4 of 9 44% 4 of 9 0 of 0 0 of 0 3 of 7 0 of 1 1 of 1
2 Yan Xiaonan 4 of 6 66% 4 of 6 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 1 0 of 0 4 of 5
Virna Jandiroba 0 of 1 0% 0 of 1 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 1 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Yan Xiaonan 7 of 21 33% 5 of 17 1 of 3 1 of 1 7 of 21 0 of 0 0 of 0
Virna Jandiroba 7 of 10 70% 7 of 10 0 of 0 0 of 0 5 of 8 0 of 0 2 of 2
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Apr 16, 2025 (fight day)
Virna Jandiroba

Daniel Levi credits Yan Xiaonan for surviving three rounds on the mat with Virna Jandiroba despite being a blue belt, but acknowledges Jandiroba's victory. He states Jandiroba earned her title shot and should face Zhang Weili next.

"Verna Jeanji Doba and Yan Jean. Yeah. You know, firstly, credit to Yan Jean. you know, you're a blue belt and you survived three rounds on the mat with arguably one of the best black belts... And for Verna, congrats, …"
WIN vs Tabatha Ricci
Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27) R3 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo · Nov 23, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Yan Xiaonan 0 78 of 161 48% 89 of 172 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Tabatha Ricci 0 15 of 103 14% 17 of 106 1 of 3 33% 0 0 0:16
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Yan Xiaonan 0 16 of 40 40% 16 of 40 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Tabatha Ricci 0 0 of 13 0% 0 of 13 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
2 Yan Xiaonan 0 25 of 54 46% 34 of 63 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Tabatha Ricci 0 8 of 30 26% 10 of 33 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:16
3 Yan Xiaonan 0 37 of 67 55% 39 of 69 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Tabatha Ricci 0 7 of 60 11% 7 of 60 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Yan Xiaonan 78 of 161 48% 45 of 118 25 of 34 8 of 9 77 of 159 1 of 2 0 of 0
Tabatha Ricci 15 of 103 14% 8 of 85 1 of 4 6 of 14 15 of 101 0 of 2 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Yan Xiaonan 16 of 40 40% 5 of 25 7 of 11 4 of 4 16 of 40 0 of 0 0 of 0
Tabatha Ricci 0 of 13 0% 0 of 12 0 of 0 0 of 1 0 of 13 0 of 0 0 of 0
2 Yan Xiaonan 25 of 54 46% 16 of 40 7 of 11 2 of 3 25 of 53 0 of 1 0 of 0
Tabatha Ricci 8 of 30 26% 3 of 21 1 of 3 4 of 6 8 of 29 0 of 1 0 of 0
3 Yan Xiaonan 37 of 67 55% 24 of 53 11 of 12 2 of 2 36 of 66 1 of 1 0 of 0
Tabatha Ricci 7 of 60 11% 5 of 52 0 of 1 2 of 7 7 of 59 0 of 1 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 17, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Angelo picks Yan Xiaonan, praising her boxing and technical striking. He acknowledges Tabatha Ricci's pressure and cardio but believes Yan's skills and takedown defense will prevail. He suggests the over 2.5 rounds is a good bet.

over two and a half rounds is good as gold
"Yan is going to be the pick tabi his pressure can obviously winner round winner a couple of rounds so the over two and a half to plus three and a half good as gold"
BI
Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Nov 20, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Tabatha Ricci

Big Brady picks Tabatha Ricci with little confidence. He thinks the odds are off and that Yan Xiaonan's takedown defense is questionable, recalling the Carla Esparza loss where Yan was easily taken down. If Ricci can get takedowns, she can win minutes on top. Even on the feet, Ricci can push Yan against the cage and burn clock. Brady sees a path for Ricci to win by decision but is not confident.

"I'm going to pick re with like little to no confidence just because I feel like two takedowns in this fight could be could be a win"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Nov 20, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Tabatha Ricci

Cody picks Ricci as a live underdog, arguing that Yan's takedown defense is suspect and Ricci's grappling is elite. He notes that Ricci has taken down multiple black belts and that Yan was exposed by Carla Esparza's wrestling. He believes Ricci can get takedowns, control top position, and grind out a decision or even a submission. He likes Ricci by decision at plus money.

Ricci by decision
"I see a world where Yan couldn't win too sure but at minus 200 I I don't want to live in that world I want to live in the one where tab the REI scores here as an underdog"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Nov 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Connor also picks Yan, emphasizing that Yan's boxing is far superior and that Ricci's grappling, while strong, may not be effective against a bigger, high-output striker. He notes that Ricci's top game is static and she struggles to finish, so Yan can survive takedowns and win on the feet. Connor agrees that the three-round format helps Ricci but still favors Yan.

Same odds commentary as Zane.
"I think I'm gonna pick Yan as well, but that certainly makes it difficult. I think it should be a close odds kind of fight, but I will take Yan Xiaonan mostly because I don't trust Ricci's process."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Nov 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Daniel Vreeland is a long-time Yan Xiaonan backer and continues the trend here. He sees a big size and striking advantage for Yan, noting Ricci's janky striking and poor top control. He references Ricci's inability to hold down Angela Hill and believes Yan's improved takedown defense and toughness will allow her to get back up. He expects Yan to light Ricci up on the feet and win decisively.

"I'm going right back to Yan xan and let me explain to you exactly why"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Lean picked Nov 20, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

James leans towards Yan Xiaonan as the better striker, but is cautious due to Yan coming off a brutal loss and Ricci's improving grappling. He expects Yan to win a 29-28 decision on damage, but considers it a pass fight with no strong betting opinion.

"I feel like Yan Janam will win it on damage maybe 2928"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Hesitant picked Nov 20, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Paul picks Yan Xiaonan but is hesitant, noting that Ricci has a path to victory via takedowns and control. He thinks Yan's striking power and ferocity will be the difference, but she must stay off her back and get up immediately if taken down. He expects a close fight that goes to decision and could see a split.

"I think it's a rightful favorite as long as she comes back from a very significant beating... xan with the the more uh devastating punches will be the pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

The MMA Guru picks Yan Xiaonan over Tabatha Ricci, citing Yan's better boxing, range control, and size advantage. He notes Yan has fought top competition, including a decision loss to Zhang Weili where she dropped Zhang, and wins over Jessica Andrade and Mackenzie Dern. He believes Ricci's 'bunder' won't sway judges in China. He predicts a decision win for Yan.

decision win
"I'm gonna go Yan xiaan getting this one done by decision win"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Nov 21, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Zane picks Yan Xiaonan, citing her superior striking volume, technique, and power. He acknowledges Ricci's improved boxing and strong double-leg takedown, but doubts Ricci's ability to control Yan on the ground due to size and static top game. Zane also notes that the three-round format helps Ricci, but Yan's striking advantage should carry her if she avoids being controlled for two rounds.

Yan opened -196, now -190; Ricci opened +172, now +167.
"I think I'm gonna pick Yan as well, but that certainly makes it difficult. I think it should be a close odds kind of fight, but I will take Yan Xiaonan mostly because I don't trust Ricci's process."
LOSS vs Zhang Weili
Decision (unanimous) (49–45, 49–45, 49–45) R5 5:00 · UFC 300: Pereira vs. Hill · Apr 13, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Zhang Weili 0 106 of 157 67% 256 of 327 6 of 9 66% 2 0 12:44
Yan Xiaonan 1 43 of 85 50% 73 of 116 3 of 3 100% 0 1 2:20
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Zhang Weili 0 17 of 30 56% 20 of 33 1 of 1 100% 1 0 1:04
Yan Xiaonan 0 7 of 23 30% 7 of 23 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:20
2 Zhang Weili 0 54 of 59 91% 66 of 71 1 of 1 100% 1 0 3:51
Yan Xiaonan 0 4 of 13 30% 7 of 16 0 of 0 --- 0 1 0:10
3 Zhang Weili 0 12 of 25 48% 39 of 56 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:17
Yan Xiaonan 1 26 of 34 76% 33 of 41 2 of 2 100% 0 0 1:42
4 Zhang Weili 0 19 of 33 57% 59 of 86 2 of 2 100% 0 0 3:42
Yan Xiaonan 0 4 of 10 40% 10 of 16 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:08
5 Zhang Weili 0 4 of 10 40% 72 of 81 2 of 2 100% 0 0 3:50
Yan Xiaonan 0 2 of 5 40% 16 of 20 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Zhang Weili 106 of 157 67% 84 of 119 13 of 19 9 of 19 34 of 78 4 of 4 68 of 75
Yan Xiaonan 43 of 85 50% 21 of 60 4 of 6 18 of 19 24 of 64 3 of 4 16 of 17
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Zhang Weili 17 of 30 56% 9 of 16 4 of 6 4 of 8 13 of 26 0 of 0 4 of 4
Yan Xiaonan 7 of 23 30% 6 of 20 0 of 1 1 of 2 5 of 19 1 of 2 1 of 2
2 Zhang Weili 54 of 59 91% 51 of 54 1 of 1 2 of 4 6 of 10 0 of 0 48 of 49
Yan Xiaonan 4 of 13 30% 4 of 13 0 of 0 0 of 0 4 of 13 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Zhang Weili 12 of 25 48% 4 of 14 5 of 6 3 of 5 8 of 21 4 of 4 0 of 0
Yan Xiaonan 26 of 34 76% 7 of 15 3 of 3 16 of 16 9 of 17 2 of 2 15 of 15
4 Zhang Weili 19 of 33 57% 16 of 26 3 of 6 0 of 1 5 of 14 0 of 0 14 of 19
Yan Xiaonan 4 of 10 40% 4 of 10 0 of 0 0 of 0 4 of 10 0 of 0 0 of 0
5 Zhang Weili 4 of 10 40% 4 of 9 0 of 0 0 of 1 2 of 7 0 of 0 2 of 3
Yan Xiaonan 2 of 5 40% 0 of 2 1 of 2 1 of 1 2 of 5 0 of 0 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Lock picked Apr 7, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Zhang Weili

Angelo is most confident in Zhang Weili, calling her better in every aspect of MMA. He notes her dominant performance against Amanda Lemos and believes she will easily defeat Yan Xiaonan. He recommends using her as a parlay anchor.

Can be used as parlay anchor
"waye is better than her opponent in every single aspect of MMA wayy has to be the pick and you could definitely use her as a parlay anchor"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Apr 11, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Zhang Weili

Cody sees a clear path for Zhang Weili via wrestling. He notes Yan Xiaonan has been taken down easily by Carla Esparza, Marina Rodriguez, and Mackenzie Dern, and has no get-up game. In contrast, Zhang Weili has excellent grappling, taking down Rose Namajunas five times and Joanna Jedrzejczyk three times. Cody believes Zhang can win on the feet too, but the path of least resistance is takedowns and ground control. He expects Zhang to grind Yan down and possibly secure a rear-naked choke or TKO.

"I think Zang L gets the job done and probably looks good doing it."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Apr 11, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Zhang Weili

Daniel Vreeland picks Zhang Weili, stating that Yan Xiaonan's path to victory is unclear. He notes that Weili is always balanced and in the right position, and that she can match volume. He also mentions that Weili beat Yan J at her own game, and that she has a huge grappling advantage if she chooses to use it.

"I gotta go with wayy Jang uh you know like the the problem with this one is the same thing with the problem with Max Holloway right when you're drawing up the paths to victory for Yan shaan what are …"
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Apr 10, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Daniel Vreeland picks Yan Xiaonan as a massive underdog, citing his history of betting on her in every UFC fight and her value at plus odds. He acknowledges Zhang Weili's grappling advantage but believes Yan's improved takedown defense and striking can keep the fight standing, where she has the edge. He notes Yan's survival against McKenzie Dern as evidence of her improved ground game.

"I've literally bet her in every single UFC fight she's had so why would I stop now at plus 400 in her title fight?"
JE
Jeff Fox Expert Confident picked Apr 11, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Zhang Weili

Jeff Fox picks Zhang Weili, agreeing with Vreeland. He notes that Weili is better everywhere in this fight, and that she will put on a one-sided beating. He also mentions that if she chose to grapple, she could finish the fight.

"I agree with all that and if she chose to Grapple she could grapple and finish Fantage there y huge advantage on the ground so yeah Jiang is the better everywhere in this fight"
LU
Lucrative James Expert picked Apr 10, 2024 (3 days before fight)

Lucrative James does not make a pick for this fight. He mentions it as the all-Chinese women's title fight but does not give a prediction. He only discusses it in the context of the card's strength.

"Weili versus Yan Xiaonan the all Chinese women's title fight"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 12, 2024 (1 day before fight)
Zhang Weili

Weili should put together a better body of work with a mixture of takedowns and striking damage to retain her title and win on the scorecards. However, -500 is not accurate as Yan Xiaonan is much livelier than the underdog price indicates and will provide resistance.

decision, odds comment: -500 not accurate
"I don't think minus 500 is accurate here as I do think that Yan xan should be uh providing enough resistance to cause wey Jang some issues"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Apr 11, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Paul sees this as a dogger pass situation, noting that women's strawweight fights are often close and go the distance. He acknowledges Zhang Weili should be the favorite but thinks the 4-to-1 price is too wide. Paul mentions Yan Xiaonan's path to victory is a first-round knockout, pointing out that Zhang has been knocked out before (by Rose Namajunas head kick) and that Yan just knocked out Jessica Andrade in the first round. He's tempted by the +385 underdog and the 30-to-1 round one prop.

Yan Xiaonan round 1 knockout at 30-to-1 odds mentioned as a degenerate bet
"I feel like it's probably relatively competitive and probably does go some rounds... yan round one 30 to1 is out on the market... I'll probably degen a little bit into that."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 8, 2024 (5 days before fight)
Zhang Weili

The MMA Guru picks Zhang Weili to win by decision, dominating Yan Xiaonan. He praises Zhang's improvement and her performance against Amanda Lemos. He sees no path to victory for Yan and expects Zhang to use her grappling and striking to control the fight.

"I'm going with Jiang way Le by decision."
KO (punches) R1 2:20 · UFC 288: Sterling vs. Cejudo · May 06, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Yan Xiaonan 0 12 of 32 37% 12 of 32 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Jéssica Andrade 1 26 of 36 72% 26 of 36 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Yan Xiaonan 0 12 of 32 37% 12 of 32 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Jéssica Andrade 1 26 of 36 72% 26 of 36 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:02
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Yan Xiaonan 12 of 32 37% 5 of 23 3 of 3 4 of 6 12 of 32 0 of 0 0 of 0
Jéssica Andrade 26 of 36 72% 12 of 22 5 of 5 9 of 9 23 of 33 0 of 0 3 of 3
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Yan Xiaonan 12 of 32 37% 5 of 23 3 of 3 4 of 6 12 of 32 0 of 0 0 of 0
Jéssica Andrade 26 of 36 72% 12 of 22 5 of 5 9 of 9 23 of 33 0 of 0 3 of 3
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Apr 30, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Angelo picks Jéssica Andrade but with very low confidence, admitting he has flip-flopped multiple times. He thinks Andrade's raw power and bullying style can close the distance and get the fight to the ground, where she can pound away. However, he acknowledges Yan Xiaonan is the better striker with clean technique and composure. Angelo notes that if Andrade can't bully her way in, she'll be a step behind on the feet. He emphasizes this is a low-confidence pick.

"right now the pick is going to be Jessica because she is the more dangerous fighter but frankly I might flip that"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked May 1, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Big Brady picks Andrade, citing her wrestling and grappling advantage. He notes Yan Xiaonan was dominated by Carla Esparza, who has no finishing ability, so Andrade's takedowns and top control will be overwhelming. He believes Andrade is super strong for the division, has great cardio, and will take Yan down at will. He predicts a second-round TKO via ground and pound.

Second round TKO prediction
"I like andrage to get takedowns here and get on top and finish yanja Nan in very brutal fashion so I like andrage second round TKO"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked May 3, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Cody thinks Andrade should win on paper with her strength, power, and experience, but is concerned about her recent performance against Erin Blanchfield where she looked burnt out and quit. He notes she's been fighting for a decade and may be mentally done. He leans toward Andrade but says he doesn't trust her at -200 and might take Yan as an underdog if he needs one later.

"I'm kind of leaning towards she could pull it out but I don't know if I got the colonies just to straight up at that Underdog"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked May 4, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Connor also picks Andrade, agreeing that Yan's volume won't be enough against Andrade's power and durability. He notes that Andrade is a rare power puncher in the division and that Yan's awkward kicks and jabs won't deter her. Connor mentions that Yan's best wins are against opponents who couldn't match her output, but Andrade is different.

"I got to take Andraj here."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked May 1, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

The host picks Jéssica Andrade, believing her strength, top pressure, and ability to drag the fight to the ground will be decisive. He acknowledges Yan Xiaonan's striking and submission defense but thinks Andrade's power and grappling will overwhelm Yan. He expects Andrade to get a ground and pound finish.

Andrade by ground and pound
"I think that the strength and the top pressure that Jessica Rings will be difficult for Yan to deal with that will allow Jessica to get into a dominant position start raining down big blows maybe even open up a …"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Hesitant picked May 3, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Paul got burned betting on Andrade against Blanchfield and is wary of the -200 price. He notes that Andrade's takedowns could be effective, as MacKenzie Dern had success taking Yan down. He thinks Andrade gets back on track but the price is too high after her last performance, so he picks her but won't bet.

"andrage is going to be the pick for me but no bet"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 1, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

The Guru picks Andrade, believing she won't be outgrappled by Yan and that her pressure and body shots will be key. He notes Yan has been outgrappled before (by Carla Esparza) and that Andrade's size at strawweight is dangerous. He predicts a TKO in the second round via body shots and punches against the cage.

TKO in round 2
"I'm gonna have to go with Jessica and Raj here ... I think she gets this one done by TKO in the second round to body shots and punches Against the Cage"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked May 4, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Zane picks Andrade, noting that Yan's success comes against opponents who can't make her pay for her volume, but Andrade has the physicality and power to do so. He points out that Andrade doesn't gas out and that Yan's game plan of stuffing takedowns and outworking won't work against Andrade. Zane compares Yan's style to Joanna Jedrzejczyk but says Yan is not Joanna.

"So I got to take Andraj here."
Decision (majority) (48–47, 48–47, 47–47) R5 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · Oct 01, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Yan Xiaonan 0 61 of 151 40% 224 of 339 2 of 11 18% 2 2 9:19
Mackenzie Dern 0 113 of 195 57% 151 of 240 0 of 0 --- 0 0 4:11
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Yan Xiaonan 0 16 of 42 38% 19 of 45 0 of 4 0% 0 1 1:01
Mackenzie Dern 0 28 of 52 53% 38 of 62 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:16
2 Yan Xiaonan 0 9 of 15 60% 56 of 78 0 of 0 --- 2 1 2:44
Mackenzie Dern 0 8 of 9 88% 17 of 18 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:50
3 Yan Xiaonan 0 18 of 45 40% 22 of 49 1 of 4 25% 0 0 0:12
Mackenzie Dern 0 32 of 66 48% 32 of 66 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:24
4 Yan Xiaonan 0 14 of 38 36% 30 of 54 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:47
Mackenzie Dern 0 38 of 56 67% 49 of 67 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:28
5 Yan Xiaonan 0 4 of 11 36% 97 of 113 1 of 1 100% 0 0 4:35
Mackenzie Dern 0 7 of 12 58% 15 of 27 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:13
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Yan Xiaonan 61 of 151 40% 45 of 132 10 of 13 6 of 6 52 of 136 3 of 7 6 of 8
Mackenzie Dern 113 of 195 57% 53 of 126 14 of 21 46 of 48 100 of 178 6 of 9 7 of 8
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Yan Xiaonan 16 of 42 38% 13 of 39 1 of 1 2 of 2 14 of 39 1 of 2 1 of 1
Mackenzie Dern 28 of 52 53% 12 of 34 2 of 3 14 of 15 25 of 49 2 of 2 1 of 1
2 Yan Xiaonan 9 of 15 60% 8 of 13 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 8 1 of 1 4 of 6
Mackenzie Dern 8 of 9 88% 4 of 4 1 of 2 3 of 3 5 of 6 0 of 0 3 of 3
3 Yan Xiaonan 18 of 45 40% 10 of 36 5 of 6 3 of 3 18 of 43 0 of 2 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 32 of 66 48% 12 of 41 3 of 7 17 of 18 31 of 64 1 of 2 0 of 0
4 Yan Xiaonan 14 of 38 36% 10 of 33 3 of 4 1 of 1 13 of 36 1 of 2 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 38 of 56 67% 18 of 36 8 of 8 12 of 12 34 of 49 2 of 4 2 of 3
5 Yan Xiaonan 4 of 11 36% 4 of 11 0 of 0 0 of 0 3 of 10 0 of 0 1 of 1
Mackenzie Dern 7 of 12 58% 7 of 11 0 of 1 0 of 0 5 of 10 1 of 1 1 of 1
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Cody also picks Dern by submission but expresses hesitations about her takedown accuracy (9%) and ability to get the fight to the ground consistently. He notes that Yan Xiaonan is tough and has good takedown defense, and that Dern's path to victory is entirely on the mat. He suggests live betting Yan if Dern fails to secure early takedowns, and mentions that Dern's submission win is the most logical outcome but not a lock.

Dern by submission; live betting Yan Xiaonan if Dern can't get takedowns
"I will take Dern by submission but again I got my hesitations"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Paul picks Mackenzie Dern by submission, noting her world-class jiu-jitsu and ability to get the fight to the ground via pulling guard or ugly clinch work. He acknowledges her one-dimensional striking and that Yan Xiaonan will likely win the standup, but believes Dern's durability and submission threat will prevail. He mentions the over/under on prize picks and the inside distance prop, but his official pick is Dern by submission.

Dern by submission; over 2.5 rounds minus 140; inside distance minus 111; submission minus 103
"Dern by submission that's my official pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

The MMA Guru believes Mackenzie Dern's elite BJJ will be the deciding factor over five rounds. He notes that Yan Xiaonan has lost two straight and was dominated by Carla Esparza, who used a similar grappling-heavy game plan. He thinks Dern will eventually get the fight to the ground and secure a submission, as Yan has not faced a grappler of Dern's level since a faded Claudia Gadelha. He acknowledges Yan could win rounds early but expects Dern's persistence to pay off.

submission finish
"I think over the 25 minutes Dern wears her down, gets her down and gets the submission."
Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 272: Covington vs. Masvidal · Mar 05, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Marina Rodriguez 0 72 of 200 36% 79 of 207 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:41
Yan Xiaonan 0 56 of 132 42% 66 of 143 2 of 4 50% 0 0 1:33
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Marina Rodriguez 0 18 of 48 37% 18 of 48 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Yan Xiaonan 0 24 of 54 44% 25 of 55 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:04
2 Marina Rodriguez 0 14 of 45 31% 20 of 51 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:28
Yan Xiaonan 0 14 of 34 41% 22 of 43 1 of 3 33% 0 0 1:29
3 Marina Rodriguez 0 40 of 107 37% 41 of 108 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:13
Yan Xiaonan 0 18 of 44 40% 19 of 45 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Marina Rodriguez 72 of 200 36% 46 of 166 18 of 19 8 of 15 59 of 182 13 of 18 0 of 0
Yan Xiaonan 56 of 132 42% 37 of 105 7 of 9 12 of 18 48 of 121 8 of 11 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Marina Rodriguez 18 of 48 37% 9 of 35 4 of 5 5 of 8 16 of 45 2 of 3 0 of 0
Yan Xiaonan 24 of 54 44% 18 of 42 2 of 4 4 of 8 21 of 50 3 of 4 0 of 0
2 Marina Rodriguez 14 of 45 31% 9 of 38 4 of 4 1 of 3 9 of 38 5 of 7 0 of 0
Yan Xiaonan 14 of 34 41% 7 of 26 4 of 4 3 of 4 11 of 29 3 of 5 0 of 0
3 Marina Rodriguez 40 of 107 37% 28 of 93 10 of 10 2 of 4 34 of 99 6 of 8 0 of 0
Yan Xiaonan 18 of 44 40% 12 of 37 1 of 1 5 of 6 16 of 42 2 of 2 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 25, 2022 (8 days before fight)
Marina Rodriguez

Angelo picks Marina Rodriguez but thinks the odds are too wide. He notes Marina is faster and more powerful, and that Yan has only executed a wrestle-heavy game plan once. He plans to place a plus 3.5 round bet on Yan, buying a round on the scorecard. He calls Yan 'stupid live' at the current odds.

plus 3.5 round bet on Yan Xiaonan
"marina is the pick here because we've only seen yon execute wrestling a wrestle heavy game plan one time"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Feb 28, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Marina Rodriguez

Big Brady picks Marina Rodriguez to win by decision. He believes Rodriguez will have a significant power advantage on the feet and that Yan Xiaonan is unlikely to attempt takedowns, which plays into Rodriguez's strengths. Brady notes that Rodriguez has improved her takedown defense and ground game, making it hard for Yan to take her down. He acknowledges the line is a bit steep at -250 but still favors Rodriguez to win.

Rodriguez by decision
"i'm gonna take marina rodriguez to win i'm gonna take her to win by decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Mar 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Marina Rodriguez

Cody believes Rodriguez is the rightful favorite because she has never lost a striking battle and hits hard for the division. He notes her takedown defense is a concern but argues Yan's wrestling is not elite, based on tape of Yan's takedowns against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Cody thinks if Yan can't take her down, Rodriguez wins the striking exchanges with volume and power.

"i got marina rodriguez i think she's the rightful favorite"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked Mar 3, 2022 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Daniel Levi picks Yan Xiaonan as a dog, citing the plus 250 odds. He believes this will be a close, competitive striking match and that Yan has the striking acumen to edge out a decision. He notes that Marina has only landed one takedown in her UFC career, so there is little takedown threat. He acknowledges Marina's improvements but thinks the odds are too wide and Yan has value.

plus 250 odds
"i'm going with the ann zhaonan to edge out this decision so let's catch this plus 250"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Mar 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

The line is too wide; this is a 50/50 fight. Yan's power striking and training at Team Alpha Male should pose problems for Rodriguez. Rodriguez is a striker but hasn't faced someone with Yan's power. Yan's takedown defense is a concern, but Rodriguez rarely grapples. At plus money, Yan is the clear value pick. Yan can outstrike Rodriguez and win a decision.

Yan via decision
"this is a coin flip of a fight maybe even again 55 percent uh marina rodriguez at best but i think it's a 50 50 fight and at these odds the clear pick has got to be yan zhaonen"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Mar 2, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Marina Rodriguez

Paul agrees with Cody, noting Rodriguez's striking volume and power. He is skeptical of Yan's wrestling after watching the Kowalkiewicz fight, where Yan's takedowns were not from clean entries but rather Kowalkiewicz giving up position. Paul believes if Yan cannot take Rodriguez down, she will lose the striking battle. He calls it a women's MMA fight but is confident in Rodriguez.

"i think it is mourinho rodriguez for me"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 28, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Marina Rodriguez

The MMA Guru picks Marina Rodriguez over Yan Xiaonan, expecting a striking affair. He notes Yan's main weakness is grappling, but believes Rodriguez has improved her cardio and striking variety, using more kicks to the body and legs. He thinks Rodriguez is more powerful and tougher, predicting a 30-27 decision where she pieces Yan apart. He also expresses a hot take that Rodriguez will become champion.

"i'm going with marina rodriguez by decision 30 27 she pieces apart yan zhaonan in a competitive fight for three rounds"
LOSS vs Carla Esparza
TKO (punches) R2 2:58 · UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt · May 22, 2021
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Carla Esparza 0 5 of 11 45% 31 of 41 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Yan Xiaonan 0 27 of 33 81% 170 of 194 3 of 3 100% 0 0 7:18
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Carla Esparza 0 2 of 5 40% 24 of 29 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Yan Xiaonan 0 13 of 15 86% 104 of 117 2 of 2 100% 0 0 4:52
2 Carla Esparza 0 3 of 6 50% 7 of 12 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Yan Xiaonan 0 14 of 18 77% 66 of 77 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:26
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Carla Esparza 5 of 11 45% 4 of 10 1 of 1 0 of 0 2 of 7 0 of 0 3 of 4
Yan Xiaonan 27 of 33 81% 27 of 33 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 2 0 of 0 26 of 31
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Carla Esparza 2 of 5 40% 2 of 5 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 2 0 of 0 2 of 3
Yan Xiaonan 13 of 15 86% 13 of 15 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 0 0 of 0 13 of 15
2 Carla Esparza 3 of 6 50% 2 of 5 1 of 1 0 of 0 2 of 5 0 of 0 1 of 1
Yan Xiaonan 14 of 18 77% 14 of 18 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 2 0 of 0 13 of 16
BI
Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked May 18, 2021 (4 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Big Brady sides with Yan Xiaonan due to her striking volume (6.42 significant strikes per minute vs 2.29) and damage output, but is hesitant because Esparza's takedowns and control time could sway judges. He notes Yan's 75% takedown defense is key, but the fight is close and could go either way depending on judging criteria. He would bet Yan if she becomes an underdog.

Yan by close decision; would bet Yan if underdog
"i'm going to side with yon to get it done by a very close decision"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked May 19, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Carla Esparza

Cody Saftic leans toward Carla Esparza, trusting the line movement from +150 to +100. He believes Esparza's wrestling and fight IQ will allow her to secure takedowns and control the fight, even if she fades in the third round. He notes that Esparza's style leads to close decisions and that she finds ways to win even when not at her best. However, he is not confident enough to bet, calling it a pass.

no bet, fight goes the distance (parlay)
"i trust the the line movement that we've seen from the plus 150 to the plus 100 i think this is you know closer to a peckham type of fight and esparza will be my pick no bet"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked May 20, 2021 (2 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Daniel Levi picks Yan Xiaonan, praising her discipline, distance management, and takedown defense improvements at Team Alpha Male. He argues that Carla Esparza is one-dimensional with wrestling, while Yan has shown she can stuff takedowns and get back up, as seen against Claudia Gadelha. He predicts a unanimous decision win for Yan, possibly a late TKO, and believes she is the future champion.

unanimous decision, possibly late TKO
"i think that yan zhaonan's distance game is gonna really frustrate her i think she's gonna stick to the boxing in the hands and i think carla esparza is gonna be taking some shots from really far out"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked May 19, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Carla Esparza

Matt picks Carla Esparza despite being a fan of Yan Xiaonan, because he believes Esparza's elite wrestling and top control will be the deciding factor. He compares the matchup to Yan's fight against Claudia Gadelha, where Yan struggled with takedowns early but came back as Claudia faded. He argues Esparza has better cardio and wrestling than Gadelha, so she can grind out a decision. He notes Yan's takedown defense remains questionable and expects Esparza to secure takedowns in every round. He likes Esparza by decision at plus money.

Carla Esparza by decision (+168), Carla Esparza by submission (+800 sprinkle)
"i have to go against my heart and i gotta pick carla esparza to win this fight by decision"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked May 19, 2021 (3 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Paul Shaughnessy picks Yan Xiaonan, believing she will stuff most takedowns and land the more impactful strikes. He notes that Esparza swells up from jabs and that Yan has shown improvement. However, he is not confident enough to bet, preferring to pass or parlay the fight going the distance. He acknowledges that either woman could win a close decision.

pass, fight goes the distance (parlay)
"i think that with yon it's like she probably just stuffs more of these takedowns than not keeps the fight standing lands the more impactful shots"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 22, 2021 (fight day)
Yan Xiaonan

The MMA Guru predicts Yan Xiaonan will win by 30-27 unanimous decision. He believes Yan's takedown defense and range management with sidekicks will be key. Even when Esparza gets takedowns, Yan will stay busy off her back with elbows and punches, out-landing Esparza in total strikes, similar to Carlos Condit vs Matt Brown.

"i'm going to go with yan zhao nan i think she's going to be too good at take down defense"
Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC on ESPN: Santos vs. Teixeira · Nov 07, 2020
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Yan Xiaonan 0 36 of 96 37% 84 of 149 2 of 10 20% 0 0 6:46
Cláudia Gadelha 0 74 of 170 43% 133 of 234 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:19
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Yan Xiaonan 0 10 of 26 38% 53 of 72 2 of 5 40% 0 0 4:06
Cláudia Gadelha 0 19 of 36 52% 51 of 70 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Yan Xiaonan 0 17 of 43 39% 18 of 44 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:07
Cláudia Gadelha 0 26 of 78 33% 27 of 80 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
3 Yan Xiaonan 0 9 of 27 33% 13 of 33 0 of 4 0% 0 0 2:33
Cláudia Gadelha 0 29 of 56 51% 55 of 84 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:19
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Yan Xiaonan 36 of 96 37% 29 of 84 6 of 11 1 of 1 30 of 88 1 of 3 5 of 5
Cláudia Gadelha 74 of 170 43% 54 of 143 15 of 21 5 of 6 58 of 149 14 of 18 2 of 3
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Yan Xiaonan 10 of 26 38% 9 of 24 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 19 1 of 2 5 of 5
Cláudia Gadelha 19 of 36 52% 10 of 22 6 of 10 3 of 4 13 of 27 4 of 6 2 of 3
2 Yan Xiaonan 17 of 43 39% 13 of 38 3 of 4 1 of 1 17 of 43 0 of 0 0 of 0
Cláudia Gadelha 26 of 78 33% 23 of 73 2 of 4 1 of 1 26 of 78 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Yan Xiaonan 9 of 27 33% 7 of 22 2 of 5 0 of 0 9 of 26 0 of 1 0 of 0
Cláudia Gadelha 29 of 56 51% 21 of 48 7 of 7 1 of 1 19 of 44 10 of 12 0 of 0
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Nov 3, 2020 (4 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Big Brady picks Yan, citing her volume striking and power, and Gadelha's decline in wrestling and cardio. He thinks Yan's takedown defense is good and she will win a decision, possibly live betting opportunity. He notes Gadelha has been dropped before.

decision, live betting opportunity
"I like yon here I would you know give godelia more of a shot if I just saw more wrestling as of late"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2020 (1 day before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

Daniel Levi picks Yan Xiaonan, believing she is catching Cláudia Gadelha at the perfect time. He acknowledges Gadelha's grappling threat but thinks Yan can stuff takedowns and outwork her on the feet with volume and damage. Levi notes Yan's training at Alpha Male and with Sarah McMahon to improve wrestling, and he expects Yan to win a decision or possibly get a finish. He is concerned about submission but thinks Yan can avoid it.

"i see uh yan zhanna coming out here as long as she doesn't get submitted and listen claudia she's definitely a black belt jiu jitsu she's only submitted one person in the ufc carolina but that doesn't mean she can't …"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 2, 2020 (5 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

The host likes Yan Xiaonan's pressure, power, and combinations to overwhelm Gadelha, who has cardio issues and declining takedown effectiveness. He notes Yan's training at Team Alpha Male and her ability to get back to her feet. He expects a decision or third-round TKO, and loves the -135 line.

He might play the round three prop for Yan. He mentions the line is great at -135 and he likes it up to -170.
"I love the line on her too currently at -135 which is great... i'm probably going to play her"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 1, 2020 (6 days before fight)
Yan Xiaonan

The MMA Guru picks Yan Xiaonan to win by unanimous decision. He believes Yan will pick apart Gadelha from range with her straight punches, and that Gadelha slows down as the fight goes on. He notes Yan's high output and ability to rally in later rounds.

"i'm going to be going with yan zhao nan picking apart kedalia from range"
Mackenzie Dern - Fight History
Decision R5 5:00 · UFC 321 · Oct 25, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Virna Jandiroba 0 106 of 217 48% 208 of 331 9 of 17 52% 0 0 9:07
Mackenzie Dern 0 118 of 231 51% 249 of 372 2 of 8 25% 0 0 3:45
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Virna Jandiroba 0 27 of 45 60% 41 of 60 2 of 3 66% 0 0 1:57
Mackenzie Dern 0 20 of 36 55% 38 of 58 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:29
2 Virna Jandiroba 0 14 of 34 41% 45 of 72 2 of 3 66% 0 0 2:24
Mackenzie Dern 0 19 of 44 43% 50 of 77 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:17
3 Virna Jandiroba 0 14 of 27 51% 38 of 53 2 of 6 33% 0 0 2:09
Mackenzie Dern 0 18 of 32 56% 52 of 68 0 of 3 0% 0 0 1:14
4 Virna Jandiroba 0 28 of 58 48% 42 of 73 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:13
Mackenzie Dern 0 26 of 62 41% 38 of 74 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:30
5 Virna Jandiroba 0 23 of 53 43% 42 of 73 2 of 3 66% 0 0 2:24
Mackenzie Dern 0 35 of 57 61% 71 of 95 1 of 1 100% 0 0 0:15
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Virna Jandiroba 106 of 217 48% 72 of 177 20 of 25 14 of 15 83 of 192 20 of 21 3 of 4
Mackenzie Dern 118 of 231 51% 84 of 193 21 of 25 13 of 13 89 of 199 8 of 10 21 of 22
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Virna Jandiroba 27 of 45 60% 9 of 25 13 of 15 5 of 5 18 of 36 8 of 8 1 of 1
Mackenzie Dern 20 of 36 55% 12 of 27 4 of 5 4 of 4 16 of 30 2 of 3 2 of 3
2 Virna Jandiroba 14 of 34 41% 11 of 31 1 of 1 2 of 2 12 of 32 1 of 1 1 of 1
Mackenzie Dern 19 of 44 43% 16 of 40 3 of 4 0 of 0 13 of 38 2 of 2 4 of 4
3 Virna Jandiroba 14 of 27 51% 14 of 25 0 of 2 0 of 0 7 of 19 6 of 6 1 of 2
Mackenzie Dern 18 of 32 56% 13 of 26 4 of 5 1 of 1 12 of 26 2 of 2 4 of 4
4 Virna Jandiroba 28 of 58 48% 20 of 49 3 of 4 5 of 5 26 of 55 2 of 3 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 26 of 62 41% 17 of 52 4 of 5 5 of 5 25 of 60 1 of 2 0 of 0
5 Virna Jandiroba 23 of 53 43% 18 of 47 3 of 3 2 of 3 20 of 50 3 of 3 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 35 of 57 61% 26 of 48 6 of 6 3 of 3 23 of 45 1 of 1 11 of 11
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Oct 19, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Virna Jandiroba

Angelo picks Virna Jandiroba based on gut feeling, despite the line moving against her. He expects the fight to be entirely on the ground, where Virna's wrestling and safe jiu-jitsu will grind out a win. He notes Mackenzie's only path is submission, but Virna won't take risks like Amanda Ribas did. Angelo plans to bet Virna if the line rebounds.

The line sliding in the opposite direction will probably have me placing a bet on Verna by the end of this week. ... I'll probably have some action on Verna.
"I'm going to go with the gut here. ... Verna is going to be the pick. The line sliding in the opposite direction will probably have me placing a bet on Verna by the end of this week."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Oct 22, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Big Brady picks Mackenzie Dern, highlighting her massive improvements in striking and wrestling. He notes Dern's striking looked incredible against Angela Hill and that she now has power and aggression. He believes Dern's pressure and volume will overwhelm Virna Jandiroba on the feet, as Jandiroba lacks power and may be hesitant to grapple. Brady also cites the five-round distance favoring Dern's cardio and toughness, predicting a fourth-round TKO.

Dern by fourth round TKO; line flipped from plus money; Dern to become strawweight champion
"I got to go Dern here. I think the five rounds heavily favors Mackenzie Dern. Give me Dern here. I'm going to say Dern wins this fight by fourth round TKO."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Oct 22, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Cody picks Mackenzie Dern, arguing that over five rounds, Dern's volume, speed, and willingness to engage will outpace Jandiroba's control-heavy style. He notes that Jandiroba's wrestling is elite but she lacks striking output, and Dern's submission defense and scrambling make her dangerous off her back. Cody believes Dern's path is a decision win, as she lands more and is faster.

"I think over five rounds, she's just going to be doing a lot more. She lands more. She's faster."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Lean picked Oct 23, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Virna Jandiroba

Connor picks Jandiroba, taking a chance on her improvements in confidence and physicality since the first fight. He believes her wrestling-focused BJJ, reminiscent of Damien Maia, can neutralize Dern's guard attacks if she commits to grappling. He admits it's a hopeful pick but thinks Jandiroba has the tools to win if she doesn't repeat her negative game plan.

"I'm going to take the silly chance pick on Verna Jan Girova, cause I really want her to win and I really do feel like she's put in the work to be a more confident fighter, but I, you know, …"
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Oct 23, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Daniel Vreeland believes Mackenzie Dern's striking evolution and power give her the edge, especially as the fight progresses and Jandiroba slows down. He thinks the ground game will cancel out early, but Dern's improved hands and cardio will allow her to take over in later rounds. He also notes that the winner of the first fight often wins the rematch, especially with an age gap.

"I think in the early going, the ground game is going to kind of cancel itself out. But as the fight progresses and as Janji Doba starts to slow down, that's where I see McKenzie really letting her combinations go."
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Oct 20, 2025 (5 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Lucrative James picks Mackenzie Dern, citing her multiple paths to victory: she can win on the feet, by submission, or by outscrambling. He believes Dern has improved her boxing and wrestling, while Jandiroba's usual path of outgrappling opponents will be neutralized because Dern is dangerous from bottom and can sweep or submit her. He also notes Dern's better cardio and power, and predicts Jandiroba will get rocked at some point. He sees Dern as the underdog with value.

"I'm going to side with Mackenzie Durn here. ... I think she grits out a win here. TKO submission decision. I don't care. I'm picking McKenzie Durn money line."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Oct 22, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

The host expects Dern to replicate her 2020 win by putting together better striking, scrambling well in grappling, and winning a clear decision to become the new strawweight champion.

decision
"I expect her to replicate that performance... and new strawweight champion McKenzie Durn."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Oct 22, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Paul agrees with Cody, adding that Dern has a great chin and throws more volume. He notes that Jandiroba's path to victory relies on takedowns and control, but Dern is crafty off her back. Paul also mentions that Jandiroba has never fought five rounds in the UFC and is 37, suggesting that if she wins early rounds, she may fade, making Dern a strong live bet as well.

"Dern just kind of if it turns into a slobberknocker on the feet, one Dern's got a great chin."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Oct 21, 2025 (4 days before fight)
Virna Jandiroba

The MMA Guru picks Virna Jandiroba by decision, expecting a split decision. He believes Jandiroba is more focused on her career than Dern, who has personal distractions. He notes that Jandiroba has been winning against top competition (Yan Xiaonan, Amanda Lemos) and has good takedowns and control. He references their first fight where Jandiroba had control time and takedowns. He expects a low-paced fight with Jandiroba dragging Dern around, winning clearly but with one judge giving Dern a round.

split decision; Jandiroba wins 49-46
"I'm going to go with Virna Jandiroba getting this one done. She'll win it clearly, but it'll be a split decision."
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Hesitant picked Oct 23, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Zane picks Dern, citing a sinking feeling that Jandiroba will repeat her first fight mistake of being too respectful of Dern's ground game. He notes Dern's confidence and power on the feet, and believes Jandiroba's negative game plan will lead to her being outworked. However, he acknowledges Jandiroba's improvements and calls it a hope-based pick.

"I'm going to pick Mackenzie Dern, cause I just have a sinking feeling that Verna is, this is going to be the rare opponent where she actually has respect for her ground game and it's going to trick herself into …"
WIN vs Amanda Ribas
Submission (armbar) R3 4:56 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Ribas 2 · Jan 11, 2025
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Mackenzie Dern 0 27 of 46 58% 82 of 107 1 of 3 33% 1 2 4:34
Amanda Ribas 0 17 of 56 30% 99 of 151 2 of 2 100% 0 0 5:47
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Mackenzie Dern 0 12 of 25 48% 34 of 47 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:36
Amanda Ribas 0 10 of 33 30% 27 of 50 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
2 Mackenzie Dern 0 3 of 3 100% 24 of 25 0 of 1 0% 0 1 0:19
Amanda Ribas 0 3 of 6 50% 37 of 49 1 of 1 100% 0 0 3:31
3 Mackenzie Dern 0 12 of 18 66% 24 of 35 0 of 1 0% 1 1 1:39
Amanda Ribas 0 4 of 17 23% 35 of 52 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:16
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Mackenzie Dern 27 of 46 58% 13 of 27 3 of 8 11 of 11 18 of 34 1 of 3 8 of 9
Amanda Ribas 17 of 56 30% 10 of 44 1 of 4 6 of 8 14 of 51 0 of 0 3 of 5
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Mackenzie Dern 12 of 25 48% 4 of 15 2 of 4 6 of 6 12 of 25 0 of 0 0 of 0
Amanda Ribas 10 of 33 30% 6 of 26 1 of 3 3 of 4 9 of 32 0 of 0 1 of 1
2 Mackenzie Dern 3 of 3 100% 1 of 1 0 of 0 2 of 2 2 of 2 0 of 0 1 of 1
Amanda Ribas 3 of 6 50% 2 of 5 0 of 0 1 of 1 1 of 4 0 of 0 2 of 2
3 Mackenzie Dern 12 of 18 66% 8 of 11 1 of 4 3 of 3 4 of 7 1 of 3 7 of 8
Amanda Ribas 4 of 17 23% 2 of 13 0 of 1 2 of 3 4 of 15 0 of 0 0 of 2
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Jan 5, 2025 (6 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Angelo picks Amanda Ribas, noting that she dominated the first fight and has improved her striking since. He believes Ribas is the better striker and wrestler, and that her takedown defense and cardio will be key. He thinks the five rounds favor Ribas, as Dern's danger decreases as the fight goes on. He mentions Jacob had a big bet on Ribas at plus money when she was an underdog.

Jacob had a massive bet on Amanda Ribas at plus money (now -200)
"Amanda heas wins this fight I think it's pretty straightforward and I think the five rounds only benefits Amanda"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Jan 8, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Big Brady notes that Dern has improved her striking and takedown accuracy since their first fight, but still considers her wrestling and striking not great. He highlights Ribas's elite takedown defense (85%) and her own grappling ability, meaning she won't be afraid to grapple. He predicts Ribas will dictate where the fight takes place and win by decision, though not as dominant as the first fight.

"I got to go heos here um I don't think it's going to look as dominant as one-sided as their first fight"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Jan 8, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Cody leans toward Ribas despite the -200 price, citing Dern's inability to chain wrestle and finish submissions over three years. He notes Dern's mental lapses in later rounds and Ribas's forward pressure and power. He suggests a live bet strategy, expecting Ribas to win rounds 3-5 as Dern fades.

live bet on Ribas after round 2
"I'm leaning towards heus but this minus 200 price tag in the first main event of the year I'm not digging it to be honest"
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Confident picked Jan 9, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Connor picks Ribas because she has a fundamental technical advantage on the feet and a style that counters Dern's approach. He notes that Dern's striking defense is nonexistent and she cannot land the same strike twice due to poor technique. Ribas is comfortable trading and landing cleaner counters, as seen in their first fight. Dern's path to victory requires a simple aggressive game plan, but she lacks the technical ability to execute it consistently.

"I'm definitely taking Heebush in the rematch."
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Hesitant picked Jan 9, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Daniel acknowledges Ribas is more technically sound but notes her chinny defect, having been knocked out by multiple opponents. He thinks Ribas will dominate but could get cracked, so he passes on betting. As a pure pick, he goes with Ribas via decision, citing her superior technique and the fact that she usually needs to be finished to lose. He also mentions Dern's improved hands but still favors Ribas.

pass on betting, dog-or-pass situation
"I'm going to go with heos as a pure pick I just think she's more technically sound than McKenzie D in probably every Department"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Jan 8, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Lucrative James confidently picks Amanda Ribas, having placed a bet at -160. He believes Ribas is better in all facets of MMA, as shown in their first fight. He notes that five rounds favor Ribas's cardio and experience, though Dern's danger (power, submissions) offsets it slightly. He hasn't seen enough improvement from Dern to change the outcome. He also mentions that the line has moved to -200, giving him CLV.

Bet placed at -160, line now -200
"I played Amanda rebass at minus 160 about a week or two ago"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Jan 10, 2025 (1 day before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Ribas is still ahead of Dern and should stop Dern's poor wrestling. Ribas will be more effective and active with her striking, busting up Dern and winning on the scorecards in this rematch from 2019.

"I still believe heos is ahead of where dur is at heos should do a good enough job in terms of stopping the very poor uh wrestling style of D and then from there I think heos can stay more …"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Jan 8, 2025 (3 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Paul agrees with Cody, noting Dern's improved focus but still rudimentary wrestling. He highlights Ribas's takedown defense and well-roundedness, and that Dern went 0 for 6 on takedowns in their first fight. He is not excited about -200 but sees Ribas as the rightful favorite.

"I think that uh Amanda heus keeps this standing she's more well-rounded she's been bouncing around from 125 to 115 so this being at 115 um you're going to have full strength full capabilities everything like that for heas I …"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Hesitant picked Jan 9, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

The Guru struggles with this pick, initially leaning towards Dern but then recalling that Ribas won the first fight by stuffing takedowns and outstriking Dern. He notes Dern's poor striking and Ribas's suspect chin but ultimately goes with Ribas, predicting a TKO in round 3 or 4. He expresses frustration with the difficulty of the pick.

TKO in round 3 or 4
"ribass won the first fight sorry ribass I'm going with Amanda ribash she stuffed all the takedowns and she beat the [ __ ] out of her let's go Ribas easy"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked Jan 9, 2025 (2 days before fight)
Amanda Ribas

Zane agrees with Connor, initially seeing an avenue for Dern but concluding that Ribas is the correct pick. He notes that Dern's success comes against opponents terrified of her ground game or those she can outmuscle, but Ribas is not afraid to scrap and will fire back. Dern's lack of technical improvement and inability to finish fights in recent years are key factors. Zane also mentions that Ribas has not changed her style, which works against Dern.

"I'm with you on that. But can't not pick Heebush."
WIN vs Loopy Godinez
Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC on ABC: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov · Aug 03, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Mackenzie Dern 0 72 of 203 35% 103 of 235 2 of 5 40% 0 0 2:45
Loopy Godinez 0 67 of 146 45% 72 of 152 2 of 3 66% 1 1 1:41
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Mackenzie Dern 0 25 of 67 37% 49 of 92 1 of 2 50% 0 0 1:49
Loopy Godinez 0 15 of 38 39% 17 of 41 1 of 1 100% 0 1 0:20
2 Mackenzie Dern 0 24 of 68 35% 27 of 71 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Loopy Godinez 0 24 of 55 43% 24 of 55 1 of 2 50% 1 0 0:45
3 Mackenzie Dern 0 23 of 68 33% 27 of 72 1 of 2 50% 0 0 0:56
Loopy Godinez 0 28 of 53 52% 31 of 56 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:36
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Mackenzie Dern 72 of 203 35% 61 of 188 5 of 6 6 of 9 66 of 195 6 of 8 0 of 0
Loopy Godinez 67 of 146 45% 45 of 116 16 of 23 6 of 7 58 of 136 9 of 10 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Mackenzie Dern 25 of 67 37% 22 of 63 1 of 1 2 of 3 24 of 66 1 of 1 0 of 0
Loopy Godinez 15 of 38 39% 13 of 33 1 of 4 1 of 1 12 of 35 3 of 3 0 of 0
2 Mackenzie Dern 24 of 68 35% 20 of 62 2 of 3 2 of 3 23 of 66 1 of 2 0 of 0
Loopy Godinez 24 of 55 43% 18 of 47 3 of 4 3 of 4 23 of 54 1 of 1 0 of 0
3 Mackenzie Dern 23 of 68 33% 19 of 63 2 of 2 2 of 3 19 of 63 4 of 5 0 of 0
Loopy Godinez 28 of 53 52% 14 of 36 12 of 15 2 of 2 23 of 47 5 of 6 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Hesitant picked Jul 28, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Loopy Godinez

Angelo picks Godinez but is hesitant due to her notoriously low fight IQ. He thinks she is the better fighter everywhere except BJJ, with better striking, wrestling, and athleticism. He notes Dern's poor takedown accuracy and reliance on toughness. He bet only a quarter unit because he doesn't trust Godinez.

Bet a quarter unit
"I gotta ride with loopy here though... I beted on her but only a quarter of a unit"
BI
Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Aug 1, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Loopy Godinez

Big Brady is taking another underdog, citing Godinez's superior wrestling and boxing on the feet. He notes Dern has poor takedown accuracy (15%) and cannot take Godinez down, while Godinez should keep the fight standing and outpoint Dern. However, he admits he doesn't trust Godinez either, calling it a weird fight.

"give me loopy here in this one uh kind of how I see this fight playing out is you know lupy is going to be the much better wrestler by a mile"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Jul 30, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Loopy Godinez

Cody picks Loopy Godinez, citing her superior boxing and wrestling. He notes that Dern has poor takedown accuracy and has been roughed up on the feet recently. Cody thinks Godinez can stuff takedowns and win a volume decision. However, he acknowledges Dern's ability to create scrambles and capitalize on mistakes, so he's not fully confident. He mentions that Godinez is a slight underdog and that women's MMA is volatile.

"I'll stick with the favorite here ly godas but it's going to be lower on the list this week."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Jul 31, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Daniel picks Dern, citing her toughness and ability to overcome adversity. He criticizes Godinez's fight IQ and tendency to abandon game plans. He believes Dern will gas pedal Godinez and be the tougher fighter, despite potential striking exchanges.

"give me a McKenzie dur to get this done"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Aug 1, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Loopy Godinez

Godinez should avoid the clinch and use footwork to out-strike Dern, stuffing takedowns. She should land better damage and win on the scorecards.

"I'm hoping that godz learned from her last match up against Jan Roba where she is not going to engage in the clinch whatsoever utilize her footwork to really touch up D and really stopped the takedowns the poor takedown …"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked Jul 30, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Loopy Godinez

Paul picks Loopy Godinez, noting that she is the better striker and can avoid Dern's grappling. He thinks Godinez's volume and takedown defense should be enough to win a decision. Paul acknowledges Dern's scrambling ability but believes Godinez can stay away and win on the feet. He also mentions that Godinez went the distance with Virna Jandiroba, which looks good in hindsight.

"I'll side with lupy on the on volume and just don't engage stay away at all costs and you should be able to you know win a volume based decision here."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Jul 30, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Loopy Godinez

The MMA Guru picks Loopy Godinez over Mackenzie Dern, citing Dern's lack of seriousness and Godinez's activity and better striking. He thinks Godinez can scramble and keep the fight on the feet, where she has a technical advantage. He notes Godinez has good takedown defense and works her way back up. He mentions she might be an underdog and likes that.

"I'll go with Lupita godinez I just don't think D takes her career as serious"
LOSS vs Amanda Lemos
Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 298: Volkanovski vs. Topuria · Feb 17, 2024
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Amanda Lemos 1 41 of 80 51% 47 of 86 2 of 2 100% 0 0 4:02
Mackenzie Dern 0 21 of 54 38% 50 of 85 1 of 3 33% 0 2 6:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Amanda Lemos 0 11 of 23 47% 11 of 23 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Mackenzie Dern 0 8 of 22 36% 19 of 33 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:45
2 Amanda Lemos 1 24 of 51 47% 27 of 54 1 of 1 100% 0 0 2:09
Mackenzie Dern 0 8 of 24 33% 11 of 28 0 of 1 0% 0 1 0:30
3 Amanda Lemos 0 6 of 6 100% 9 of 9 1 of 1 100% 0 0 1:53
Mackenzie Dern 0 5 of 8 62% 20 of 24 0 of 1 0% 0 1 2:45
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Amanda Lemos 41 of 80 51% 26 of 62 8 of 10 7 of 8 24 of 56 1 of 2 16 of 22
Mackenzie Dern 21 of 54 38% 21 of 51 0 of 2 0 of 1 13 of 42 0 of 1 8 of 11
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Amanda Lemos 11 of 23 47% 4 of 15 3 of 4 4 of 4 11 of 23 0 of 0 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 8 of 22 36% 8 of 20 0 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 18 0 of 0 4 of 4
2 Amanda Lemos 24 of 51 47% 17 of 42 4 of 5 3 of 4 12 of 32 1 of 2 11 of 17
Mackenzie Dern 8 of 24 33% 8 of 23 0 of 0 0 of 1 8 of 22 0 of 1 0 of 1
3 Amanda Lemos 6 of 6 100% 5 of 5 1 of 1 0 of 0 1 of 1 0 of 0 5 of 5
Mackenzie Dern 5 of 8 62% 5 of 8 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 6
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Feb 11, 2024 (6 days before fight)
Amanda Lemos

Angelo picks Amanda Lemos, citing her superior striking and takedown defense. He rants about Mackenzie Dern's poor wrestling and 14% takedown accuracy, despite her elite BJJ. He notes Lemos is coming off a bad loss but believes her takedown defense is more than enough to keep the fight standing. He calls the odds fantastic.

"Amanda lamos is going to be the pick I think the odds at minus 125 based on the rant I just went on are fantastic odds"
BI
Big Brady Expert Hesitant picked Feb 13, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Big Brady picks Mackenzie Dern as a dog but with very low confidence. He notes Dern's inconsistency, looking great against Angela Hill but terrible against Jessica Andrade. He thinks if Dern gets the fight to the ground, she can submit Lemos, who has been tapped before. He says he won't bet this fight and is staying far away, but as a pick he goes with Dern by submission.

Dern by submission
"I'm gonna take dur here as a dog as far as a pick goes I'll say she Subs lamos but I can't trust either of these Fighters"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Feb 14, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Cody agrees with Paul, noting Dern's durability and BJJ threat. He mentions that Lemos could get a knockout, but Dern has shown she can take bombs. He believes Dern only needs one takedown to close the show. He picks Dern moneyline without chasing props.

"I like d as well but yeah I I don't even think I'm going to chase a prop on this one cuz um I see both pass to Victory..."
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert Confident picked Feb 14, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Amanda Lemos

Daniel picks Amanda Lemos hard, despite being a fan of Mackenzie Dern's grappling style. He thinks Dern won't be able to get the fight to the ground due to Lemos' strength, good boxing, and takedown defense. He also cites Dern's short notice and Lemos' reach advantage. He believes Lemos should be a -200 favorite and is all in on her.

"we're going Lemos hard uh and and this is coming from maybe one of the preeminent uh McKenzie dur fans... I think LMO should be a negative 200 favorite here or better like negative 130 just not high enough I'm …"
DA
Daniel Vreeland Expert picked Feb 13, 2024 (4 days before fight)

Daniel Vreeland does not make a clear pick, calling it a coin flip. He notes Lemos's power and leg kick potential but is concerned about her tendency to flop to her back, as seen against Zhang. He acknowledges Dern's elite BJJ but questions her wrestling and striking. He stays away from betting on this fight.

"I'm staying away from this one."
JE
Jeff Fox Expert Confident picked Feb 14, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Amanda Lemos

Jeff picks Amanda Lemos, calling it a good number. He notes that Dern struggles with her wrestling and striking, and doesn't look great on the feet. He points out that Lemos just fought for the belt and has a reach advantage. He thinks Lemos should be a -200 favorite or better, so -130 is a good price.

"lamos is is the pick good number on this fight as well."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Feb 15, 2024 (2 days before fight)
Amanda Lemos

Lemos is a dangerous power puncher who can keep Dern at bay. Dern is inconsistent and unable to complete takedowns. Expects Lemos to find a knockout in the second round.

"I expect her power to come through once again for her as she keeps D at Bay and eventually finds that knockout in the second round"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Feb 14, 2024 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Paul picks Dern, citing her superior Jiu-Jitsu and improved striking. He notes Lemos' low volume and 55% takedown defense, which could allow Dern to get the fight to the ground. He highlights Dern's durability and cardio, and believes she can outwork Lemos on the feet or submit her. He sees value at plus money.

"I got D yeah."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Feb 13, 2024 (4 days before fight)
Amanda Lemos

The MMA Guru picks Amanda Lemos, calling her a dangerous power puncher and criticizing Mackenzie Dern's striking as nonexistent. He believes Lemos will have improved her grappling defense after being dominated by Zhang Weili. He predicts a brutal TKO stoppage in round one, stating Dern has never practiced striking for MMA.

"Amanda Lemos gets it done TKO... Dern has never practiced striking for MMA in her entire life."
TKO (punches) R2 3:15 · UFC 295: Prochazka vs. Pereira · Nov 11, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Jéssica Andrade 4 53 of 107 49% 53 of 107 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:13
Mackenzie Dern 0 49 of 114 42% 50 of 115 0 of 4 0% 0 0 0:00
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Jéssica Andrade 1 27 of 50 54% 27 of 50 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:04
Mackenzie Dern 0 24 of 57 42% 25 of 58 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:00
2 Jéssica Andrade 3 26 of 57 45% 26 of 57 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:09
Mackenzie Dern 0 25 of 57 43% 25 of 57 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Jéssica Andrade 53 of 107 49% 27 of 76 7 of 9 19 of 22 43 of 90 6 of 12 4 of 5
Mackenzie Dern 49 of 114 42% 38 of 100 6 of 9 5 of 5 47 of 109 2 of 5 0 of 0
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Jéssica Andrade 27 of 50 54% 10 of 29 5 of 7 12 of 14 18 of 37 5 of 8 4 of 5
Mackenzie Dern 24 of 57 42% 15 of 46 4 of 6 5 of 5 23 of 55 1 of 2 0 of 0
2 Jéssica Andrade 26 of 57 45% 17 of 47 2 of 2 7 of 8 25 of 53 1 of 4 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 25 of 57 43% 23 of 54 2 of 3 0 of 0 24 of 54 1 of 3 0 of 0
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Nov 5, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Angelo picks Dern, citing her improved striking and elite BJJ. He notes Andrade's takedown defense is poor and Dern can pull guard or climb for submissions. He already bet a full unit on Dern at -177 and is confident she gets it done.

bet 1 unit at -177
"I'm going to trust McKenzie dur here I think she gets it done I threw a full unit on her at Min - 177."
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Big Brady picks Mackenzie Dern to win by first-round submission. He believes Dern is improving her wrestling and striking, while Andrade is on a decline and doesn't seem to care anymore. He notes Andrade has been easily submitted recently by top grapplers, and Dern is the best grappler in the division. Brady thinks one takedown from Dern will end the fight quickly.

Dern by submission in the first round
"Give me Dern, I think she does care and I think her ground game's really good and I'll say she subs her in the first round."
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked Nov 8, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Cody picks Dern, noting Andrade's recent decline and disinterest in fights. He highlights Dern's improvements in striking and wrestling under Henry Cejudo, and her durability. He believes Dern can win on the feet or on the ground, and that Andrade's best path (wrestling) is nullified by Dern's BJJ.

"I think D is the rightful fave minus 190 don't love it but um but yeah that's my pick"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Confident picked Nov 7, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

James picks Mackenzie Dern to win, though he is annoyed at the -200 price. He thinks Andrade has stylistic advantages on the feet with more power, but Dern has durability, pace, and grappling to offset that. He believes Dern only needs one takedown to dominate and finish, and Andrade has been finished in her last three losses. He suggests playing Dern inside the distance rather than moneyline.

Inside the distance recommended; notes Andrade rarely loses by decision.
"I think that McKenzie Dern is going to win the fight."
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Nov 7, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Jéssica Andrade

Andrade's power will be the difference. Dern has never been hit by someone with Andrade's power and will struggle to close distance. Andrade will stuff takedowns and make Dern pay every time she crashes the pocket. Expects Andrade to land big strikes and potentially find a knockout victory in the first or second round. The line at +165 is a value due to recency bias from Dern's win over Hill.

knockout victory in round 1 or 2
"I'm actually going to be taking Andra for the upset in this spot"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Nov 8, 2023 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Paul agrees, emphasizing Andrade's regression and Dern's upward trajectory. He notes Andrade has looked flat and disinterested, while Dern is coming into her prime with improved cardio and focus. He thinks Dern wins wherever the fight goes, and that Andrade's wrestling won't be enough.

"I actually agree... D is coming into her own and becoming a legitimate contender"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Nov 6, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

The MMA Guru picks Mackenzie Dern, believing Andrade is on a losing streak and has lost confidence. He notes Dern's improved grappling and boxing, citing her dominant win over Angela Hill. He predicts Dern will submit Andrade in round two, as Andrade has been vulnerable on her back recently.

submission in round 2
"I'm going to go with McKenzie D getting a submission here over Jessica Andra in round two"
WIN vs Angela Hill
Decision (unanimous) (49–43, 49–44, 49–44) R5 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill · May 20, 2023
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Mackenzie Dern 1 126 of 210 60% 247 of 340 3 of 9 33% 0 0 13:12
Angela Hill 0 66 of 108 61% 94 of 142 0 of 0 --- 0 0 7:11
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Mackenzie Dern 1 23 of 42 54% 37 of 57 0 of 1 0% 0 0 3:08
Angela Hill 0 12 of 16 75% 15 of 24 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:02
2 Mackenzie Dern 0 22 of 49 44% 31 of 58 0 of 3 0% 0 0 0:00
Angela Hill 0 27 of 40 67% 41 of 54 0 of 0 --- 0 0 3:33
3 Mackenzie Dern 0 30 of 39 76% 70 of 82 1 of 2 50% 0 0 3:23
Angela Hill 0 1 of 8 12% 3 of 10 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:04
4 Mackenzie Dern 0 24 of 50 48% 34 of 60 1 of 2 50% 0 0 2:03
Angela Hill 0 23 of 38 60% 31 of 46 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:32
5 Mackenzie Dern 0 27 of 30 90% 75 of 83 1 of 1 100% 0 0 4:38
Angela Hill 0 3 of 6 50% 4 of 8 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:00
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Mackenzie Dern 126 of 210 60% 104 of 186 18 of 20 4 of 4 58 of 132 19 of 22 49 of 56
Angela Hill 66 of 108 61% 27 of 65 39 of 42 0 of 1 35 of 74 30 of 31 1 of 3
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Mackenzie Dern 23 of 42 54% 19 of 37 4 of 5 0 of 0 12 of 30 5 of 6 6 of 6
Angela Hill 12 of 16 75% 5 of 9 7 of 7 0 of 0 8 of 12 3 of 3 1 of 1
2 Mackenzie Dern 22 of 49 44% 13 of 40 7 of 7 2 of 2 17 of 42 5 of 7 0 of 0
Angela Hill 27 of 40 67% 10 of 22 17 of 18 0 of 0 9 of 22 18 of 18 0 of 0
3 Mackenzie Dern 30 of 39 76% 29 of 38 1 of 1 0 of 0 6 of 11 0 of 0 24 of 28
Angela Hill 1 of 8 12% 1 of 6 0 of 1 0 of 1 1 of 6 0 of 0 0 of 2
4 Mackenzie Dern 24 of 50 48% 16 of 41 6 of 7 2 of 2 15 of 41 9 of 9 0 of 0
Angela Hill 23 of 38 60% 10 of 24 13 of 14 0 of 0 14 of 28 9 of 10 0 of 0
5 Mackenzie Dern 27 of 30 90% 27 of 30 0 of 0 0 of 0 8 of 8 0 of 0 19 of 22
Angela Hill 3 of 6 50% 1 of 4 2 of 2 0 of 0 3 of 6 0 of 0 0 of 0
Play-by-Play
View on Sherdog
Mackenzie Dern vs. Angela Hill
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Dern (-170), Hill (+145)

Round 1
A place among the top 10 looms for the victor of this headlining strawweight tilt, in a cliched but accurate grappler vs. striker affair. With the majority of her wins coming by submission, Dern (12-3, 7-3 UFC) wants to get her hand raised at all costs to keep any championship hopes alive for the foreseeable future. On the other side of the equation, fan-favorite “Overkill” Hill (15-12, 10-12 UFC) is one significant strike away from passing Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the most landed of any female fighter to enter the Octagon. Something’s gotta give in this final fight of the card, and it will play out after the final instructions are given by referee Jason Herzog. There is intensity but plenty of respect, as the women bump their fists together before preparing to engage. Dern loads up immediately with fierce fists, and Hill is surprised by the sudden power coming her direction. Dern punches her way into a clinch, and Hill pushes her back to the wall but does not want to be locked up here. Dern grinds her elbow on her foe’s face, and they jockey for position in the clinch. Hill drives a knee to the body, and Dern responds with one to break free. Dern swings with all her might and hurts Hill with wild hooks, and she looks to throw Hill to the ground when they get close. Dern lands on her back in the process, and she activates her offensive guard and looks for a submission. Hill escapes smoothly, but Dern follows her and busts her in the chops with a left hand. A shocked hill hits her seat, and Dern instantly gloms onto her and looks to take her back while Hill is still clearing the cobwebs. Hill turns to her back, and leans up against the fence to keep leverage and protect herself from further harm. Dern steps through to half guard, and she looks to pass to the side or mount. Hill kicks her off and uses upkicks to keep her honest, and she hooks her toes in the fence. Dern drops down for a kneebar or a toe hold. Hill fights it off, but Dern secure full mount with seconds to spare, Dern batters Hill with elbows and punches, and she sets up an armbar with 20 seconds on the clock. Hill defends with every bit of energy, and she grits it out wildly before the horn saves “Overkill.”

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Dern
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-8 Dern
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Dern

Round 2
Dern begins the second round confidently, and her big right hand immediately clips Hill. Hill welcomes the brawl, and Dern kicks her in the midsection and charges at her with flailing fists. Hill escapes one clinch, and Dern is following her relentlessly with heavy swings. Hill lets her overswing to take Dern’s back, and this slows Dern down and stops her from hitting her in the face repeatedly. Hill grinds from the side and back, getting in an occasional right hand and knee while forcing Dern to carry her weight. Hill grips her arm around Dern’s jaw and releases it at the right moment to knee her in the face, and Dern gets her back to the wall and knees in response. The two trade knees, and Herzog asks them to keep working. Hill lands knees to the body and an elbow on the break, and she backs off. Dern throws with bad intentions, and Hill’s head movement keeps her face from a long exchange. Dern sits down on a leg kick, and the two clinch up again. Hill grinds her opponent up against the cage, with knees to the midsection and short left hands getting in. Dern looks for a throw but is shut down, and they knee one another in the chest. Hill stays more active with knees, and she dings Dern with a right hand before they split up. Dern punches her way forward, and gets popped with an overhand right. Hill shucks off a takedown attempt, and she pushes Dern to the wall as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Hill
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Hill
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Hill

Round 3
The strawweight contenders meet in the middle of the age, and Dern leads off with a right hand and a high kick. When Dern attempts another kick, Hill knocks her off her feet, and “Overkill” willingly climbs into the guard. Dern throws her legs up high to set up a triangle choke, and Hill smartly stacks Dern up and shuts it down. Dern transitions to an armbar, and Hill backs off and stands up. Dern follows her, and she drives a knee on the chin that hurts Hill and puts her on baby deer legs. Dern attempts to throw a wobbled Hill down to the ground, and Hill winds up on top and fights her way up to her feet, possibly on autopilot after the hammering blow. Dern looks for another throw, and this time, she drags Hill to the floor and climbs into mount with three minutes to go. Hill turns to her stomach, and Dern allows her to do this so she can elbow and punch Hill in the side of the head. Hill looks to push her feet off the fence to protect herself, and she kicks off at the right time to roll to her knees. Dern muscles her back down again, and she unleashes fierce ground-and-pound as she traps Hill on her side. Hill shells up and posts off the wall, and Dern follows her and continues pummeling her with elbows and punches. Dern kiais every time she lands a strike, and these blows are not light and Hill is eating them or blocking them to little effect. Dern rides and batters Hill with left hands, screaming with every blow, and Hill scrambles but winds up in the armbar. With 30 seconds left, Dern softens Hill up with a few hammerfists and leans to her back to extend the arm. Dern cannot break the grip before time expires, and Hill has once more been saved by the bell.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-8 Dern
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-8 Dern
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-8 Dern

Round 4
Between rounds, Hill’s left eye swells up significantly, and it is closing fast. Despite this, she is good to go in the championship rounds. Dern slams her fists into Hill’s face to start off again, and she stings Hill and forces a tie-up. Hill presses her tightly to the fence, slowing the offense for a time. Dern uses a few elbows to get some space and considers a head lock throw, but Hill breaks away courtesy of a few punches. Dern trades hands with her foe, and Hill is not taking the punches well. “Overkill” clinches her up to not getting tagged, and Dern breaks with a fierce elbow. Dern hammers the lead leg with a few kicks, and she initiates a clinch to take the fight down. Hill turns her around before this materializes, and another stalemate ensues with knees to the body coming from both women. Dern looks to hook the leg or drag her down, and she forces Hill to carry her body weight. Hill spins her around with a frenzied effort, and Dern backs her off with a stern elbow. Hill the strikes on the chin, and Hill looks for a takedown and gets thrown awkwardly to her back, while hanging onto Dern from behind. Dern turns her around, and Hill hangs on with an arm-triangle choke from her back. The horn sounds with Dern in no danger from the submission setup.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dern
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Dern
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern

Round 5
The fighters have reached the final frame, and Hill’s eye is greatly swollen but not in danger of stopping the fight. She engages in a brief slugfest to start things off, and Dern catches her with a few punches and throws Hill to her back. Hill closes her guard, and Dern stacks her up and grinds an elbow on the chin to open it up. Hill reaches her legs up high and hopes to wrap them over a shoulder, and she gets her toes in the fence and even considers an armbar. Dern is wise to it and powers through it, and she moves to side control at the three-minute mark. Dern steps over to grab hold of Hill’s left arm, and she lets it go to hurt Hill with elbows. Hill turns to her side, smothered by the active Dern, and Dern traps her and elbows her repeatedly. Dern takes the back and looks for an armbar, but she flattens Hill out and punches her on both sides of the head. Dern gets both hooks in from behind, and she steps over to full mount and hammerfists Hill with no way out. Try as she might, Hill cannot get out, and Dern clobbers her with a long series of elbows. Hill holds on and moves enough to stave off referee intervention, and Dern beats on her right until the bitter end. Hill has reached the final horn, in what may be a moral victory after a fairly brutal drubbing. The victorious Dern earns her third stripe on her black belt from father, “Megaton” Dias. With her striking improving dramatically, Dern is an immediate top contender in the strawweight division. While the top echelon of the division is so jam-packed, Dern asks for a matchup against former champion Rose Namajunas. If that happens, we will be here for it. We hope you are too.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Dern (49-44 Dern)
Edwin Ayala scores the round: 10-9 Dern (49-44 Dern)
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Dern (49-44 Dern)

The Official Result
Mackenzie Dern def. Angela Hill via Unanimous Decision (49-43, 49-44, 49-44)
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked May 14, 2023 (6 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Angelo picks Mackenzie Dern because the fight is now five rounds, which benefits Dern's dangerous grappling and cardio. He notes that Dern never quits and the extra time gives her more chances to catch Angela Hill. He expects a close fight but believes Dern's finishing ability is the difference. He plans to bet on Dern by inside the distance (decision no action) if the odds are better than -350.

Plan to bet on Mackenzie Dern inside the distance (decision no action) if odds better than -350
"I like MacKenzie during to win this fight because it's five rounds I do think it's gonna be close I don't think MacKenzie's gonna get a quick takedown and then submit Angela Hill"
BI
Big Brady Expert Confident picked May 12, 2023 (8 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Big Brady picks Mackenzie Dern to submit Angela Hill, possibly in any round. He notes Dern is younger, improving her striking and wrestling, and has a huge advantage on the ground. He believes Dern will eventually get a takedown and submit Hill, similar to how Randa Markos submitted Hill. He acknowledges Hill's takedown defense is good but thinks Dern's pressure and power will wear her down over five rounds.

submission
"the pick is Dern s are around it could be in any or any round but I'll just say Dern sub for this one I think she submits Angela Hill"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Confident picked May 18, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Angela Hill

Cody argues that Mackenzie Dern's takedown success is inconsistent, especially in five-round fights, and she lacks striking volume. He notes Dern's poor striking defense and low output, while Angela Hill has excellent volume, cardio, and submission defense. He sees Hill winning by outworking Dern on the feet over five rounds.

"I'm gonna pick Angela Hill and fit it in on the parlay at some point."
CO
Connor Ruebusch Expert Hesitant picked May 18, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Connor picks Dern despite acknowledging Hill's advantages over five rounds. He argues that Dern's hyper-aggressive grappling and ability to create instant submission threats from awkward positions will give her chances early, and that Hill hasn't faced a grappler with that kind of venom. He admits that if Dern doesn't finish in the first round and a half, Hill likely wins, but he can't shake the image of Dern wrapping up a leg for a quick submission.

Dern opened at -170, currently -166; Hill opened at +150, currently +160. Connor notes the odds are essentially even.
"I'm gonna take Dern. But you have laid out a great argument for Hill in the five rounds and give me huge pause because yeah if it doesn't happen for Dern in the first round and a half, Hill wins."
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Lean picked May 18, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Daniel Levi leans toward Mackenzie Dern but is not confident. He acknowledges Dern's elite BJJ and submission threat, but questions her takedown offense (11% accuracy, less than 1 takedown per 15 minutes) and striking defense. He notes Angela Hill has 77% takedown defense and hasn't been submitted since 2019, and that strikers like Yan Xiaonan and Marina Rodriguez survived Dern's ground game. He sees Hill as superior on the feet and thinks the blueprint to beat Dern exists. Ultimately, he picks Dern via submission but says it's a 'dog or pass' situation and there's no value at -175.

Dern via submission; no bet due to lack of value at -175
"I guess it's a dog or pass situation... I'll go with Dern to find something along the way or possibly Bank three of these rounds"
LU
Lucrative James Expert Hesitant picked May 16, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Angela Hill

James sees this as a 50-50 fight but favors Angela Hill due to the plus-160 line, which he believes offers value. He notes that Hill has above-average takedown defense and will likely keep the fight standing, where she can outpoint Dern. However, he acknowledges Dern's submission threat and the possibility of Dern winning via decision if she gets takedowns in three rounds. He is hesitant and not fully committed to betting Hill yet, considering hedging with Dern submission.

Angela Hill via decision considered as a potential play; may hedge with Dern submission; plus-160 line mentioned
"I'm actually gonna side with Angela Hill I'm gonna say Andrew Hill gets it on Via decision but like I said it's about 50 50 fight so it's very hard for me to give an outright prediction"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Lean picked May 15, 2023 (5 days before fight)
Angela Hill

The host leans toward Angela Hill but is the least confident on this fight. He thinks Hill's footwork, output, and takedown defense could allow her to batter Dern on the feet and win by decision. He notes Dern could also win quickly by submission if she gets takedowns. He suggests a round 4 or 5 decision prop but says he won't put money on either side.

round 4 or 5 decision prop
"I'm gonna lean with the striker here though I'm gonna go with the footwork the output and hopefully decent enough takedown defense here from Angela Hill"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Lean picked May 18, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Angela Hill

Paul agrees with Cody, noting that the betting lines suggest a striking affair. He points out that Dern's takedown line is low (1 takedown) and that Hill's takedown defense has been adequate against good grapplers. He sees value in Hill at +150 and expects her to win a striking decision.

"plus 150 here Angela Hill seems like a very very reasonable dog shot."
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked May 16, 2023 (4 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

The MMA Guru picks Mackenzie Dern, believing her grappling will be the difference in a five-round fight. He notes Dern is younger (30 vs 38) and still improving, while Angela Hill rarely finishes. He expects the fight to hit the ground at some point, citing Michelle Waterson's success in taking Hill down. He predicts Dern will win by submission in round three, as her BJJ is a major threat.

submission in round three
"I'm gonna side with MacKenzie Dunn in this matchup ... I've got Mackenzie done by Sub in round three"
ZA
Zane Simon Expert Confident picked May 18, 2023 (2 days before fight)
Angela Hill

Zane picks Angela Hill because he believes Dern's only path to victory is early submission, and over five rounds Hill's superior striking and improved defensive grappling will allow her to survive early scares and take over. He notes that Hill has refined her striking to be more efficient and can maintain a winning pace, while Dern's chances drop off precipitously as the fight goes on. He also points out that Hill's clinch work could punish Dern for trying to tie up.

Dern opened at -170, currently -166; Hill opened at +150, currently +160. Zane notes the odds are essentially even and expects them to get tighter.
"I'm gonna pick Angela Hill. I think she could get herself into trouble with her clinching... but she's gonna eat a ton of jab, she's gonna get picked apart."
LOSS vs Yan Xiaonan
Decision (majority) (48–47, 48–47, 47–47) R5 5:00 · UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan · Oct 01, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Yan Xiaonan 0 61 of 151 40% 224 of 339 2 of 11 18% 2 2 9:19
Mackenzie Dern 0 113 of 195 57% 151 of 240 0 of 0 --- 0 0 4:11
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Yan Xiaonan 0 16 of 42 38% 19 of 45 0 of 4 0% 0 1 1:01
Mackenzie Dern 0 28 of 52 53% 38 of 62 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:16
2 Yan Xiaonan 0 9 of 15 60% 56 of 78 0 of 0 --- 2 1 2:44
Mackenzie Dern 0 8 of 9 88% 17 of 18 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:50
3 Yan Xiaonan 0 18 of 45 40% 22 of 49 1 of 4 25% 0 0 0:12
Mackenzie Dern 0 32 of 66 48% 32 of 66 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:24
4 Yan Xiaonan 0 14 of 38 36% 30 of 54 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:47
Mackenzie Dern 0 38 of 56 67% 49 of 67 0 of 0 --- 0 0 1:28
5 Yan Xiaonan 0 4 of 11 36% 97 of 113 1 of 1 100% 0 0 4:35
Mackenzie Dern 0 7 of 12 58% 15 of 27 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:13
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Yan Xiaonan 61 of 151 40% 45 of 132 10 of 13 6 of 6 52 of 136 3 of 7 6 of 8
Mackenzie Dern 113 of 195 57% 53 of 126 14 of 21 46 of 48 100 of 178 6 of 9 7 of 8
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Yan Xiaonan 16 of 42 38% 13 of 39 1 of 1 2 of 2 14 of 39 1 of 2 1 of 1
Mackenzie Dern 28 of 52 53% 12 of 34 2 of 3 14 of 15 25 of 49 2 of 2 1 of 1
2 Yan Xiaonan 9 of 15 60% 8 of 13 1 of 2 0 of 0 4 of 8 1 of 1 4 of 6
Mackenzie Dern 8 of 9 88% 4 of 4 1 of 2 3 of 3 5 of 6 0 of 0 3 of 3
3 Yan Xiaonan 18 of 45 40% 10 of 36 5 of 6 3 of 3 18 of 43 0 of 2 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 32 of 66 48% 12 of 41 3 of 7 17 of 18 31 of 64 1 of 2 0 of 0
4 Yan Xiaonan 14 of 38 36% 10 of 33 3 of 4 1 of 1 13 of 36 1 of 2 0 of 0
Mackenzie Dern 38 of 56 67% 18 of 36 8 of 8 12 of 12 34 of 49 2 of 4 2 of 3
5 Yan Xiaonan 4 of 11 36% 4 of 11 0 of 0 0 of 0 3 of 10 0 of 0 1 of 1
Mackenzie Dern 7 of 12 58% 7 of 11 0 of 1 0 of 0 5 of 10 1 of 1 1 of 1
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Cody also picks Dern by submission but expresses hesitations about her takedown accuracy (9%) and ability to get the fight to the ground consistently. He notes that Yan Xiaonan is tough and has good takedown defense, and that Dern's path to victory is entirely on the mat. He suggests live betting Yan if Dern fails to secure early takedowns, and mentions that Dern's submission win is the most logical outcome but not a lock.

Dern by submission; live betting Yan Xiaonan if Dern can't get takedowns
"I will take Dern by submission but again I got my hesitations"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Paul picks Mackenzie Dern by submission, noting her world-class jiu-jitsu and ability to get the fight to the ground via pulling guard or ugly clinch work. He acknowledges her one-dimensional striking and that Yan Xiaonan will likely win the standup, but believes Dern's durability and submission threat will prevail. He mentions the over/under on prize picks and the inside distance prop, but his official pick is Dern by submission.

Dern by submission; over 2.5 rounds minus 140; inside distance minus 111; submission minus 103
"Dern by submission that's my official pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

The MMA Guru believes Mackenzie Dern's elite BJJ will be the deciding factor over five rounds. He notes that Yan Xiaonan has lost two straight and was dominated by Carla Esparza, who used a similar grappling-heavy game plan. He thinks Dern will eventually get the fight to the ground and secure a submission, as Yan has not faced a grappler of Dern's level since a faded Claudia Gadelha. He acknowledges Yan could win rounds early but expects Dern's persistence to pay off.

submission finish
"I think over the 25 minutes Dern wears her down, gets her down and gets the submission."
Decision (split) (28–29, 29–28, 29–28) R3 5:00 · UFC 273: Volkanovski vs. The Korean Zombie · Apr 09, 2022
Totals
FighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
Mackenzie Dern 0 50 of 156 32% 58 of 164 0 of 5 0% 3 0 2:24
Tecia Pennington 0 76 of 124 61% 78 of 126 0 of 2 0% 0 0 2:54
Per Round
RdFighterKDSig. Str.Sig. Str. % Total Str.TDTD % Sub. AttRev.Ctrl
1 Mackenzie Dern 0 28 of 80 35% 28 of 80 0 of 1 0% 0 0 0:06
Tecia Pennington 0 35 of 62 56% 37 of 64 0 of 0 --- 0 0 0:43
2 Mackenzie Dern 0 2 of 13 15% 8 of 19 0 of 0 --- 3 0 2:07
Tecia Pennington 0 2 of 5 40% 2 of 5 0 of 0 --- 0 0 2:06
3 Mackenzie Dern 0 20 of 63 31% 22 of 65 0 of 4 0% 0 0 0:11
Tecia Pennington 0 39 of 57 68% 39 of 57 0 of 2 0% 0 0 0:05
Significant Strikes
FighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
Mackenzie Dern 50 of 156 32% 42 of 147 6 of 7 2 of 2 46 of 152 3 of 3 1 of 1
Tecia Pennington 76 of 124 61% 19 of 61 25 of 30 32 of 33 75 of 122 0 of 0 1 of 2
Significant Strikes Per Round
RdFighterSig. Str.Sig. Str. % HeadBodyLeg DistanceClinchGround
1 Mackenzie Dern 28 of 80 35% 24 of 76 2 of 2 2 of 2 26 of 78 2 of 2 0 of 0
Tecia Pennington 35 of 62 56% 6 of 31 15 of 17 14 of 14 35 of 62 0 of 0 0 of 0
2 Mackenzie Dern 2 of 13 15% 2 of 13 0 of 0 0 of 0 1 of 12 0 of 0 1 of 1
Tecia Pennington 2 of 5 40% 1 of 3 0 of 1 1 of 1 2 of 5 0 of 0 0 of 0
3 Mackenzie Dern 20 of 63 31% 16 of 58 4 of 5 0 of 0 19 of 62 1 of 1 0 of 0
Tecia Pennington 39 of 57 68% 12 of 27 10 of 12 17 of 18 38 of 55 0 of 0 1 of 2
AN
Angelo Bodetti Expert Confident picked Mar 30, 2022 (10 days before fight)
Tecia Pennington

Angelo confidently picks Tecia Torres (Pennington). He criticizes Dern's poor takedown accuracy (10%) and overconfidence in striking. He believes Torres' volume, boxing, and cardio will keep the fight standing, and even if it goes to the ground, Torres can avoid submissions. He plans to bet on Torres.

Moneyline bet on Tecia Torres.
"i like tisha torres to win i'm going to put a bet on t-shirt tours i'm very confident in tisha's ability to just have a ton of volume keep it on her feet and even if it does go to …"
BI
Big Brady Expert Lean picked Apr 4, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Tecia Pennington

Big Brady picks Tecia Torres to win by decision. He sees the fight as a coin flip: if Dern gets it to the mat, she submits Torres; if Torres stuffs takedowns, she outstrikes Dern. Torres has better striking and has been focusing on strength and conditioning. Dern has poor takedown accuracy (10%). Brady has zero confidence and won't bet it.

"i'll take torres um zero confidence in it i'm not gonna be betting it"
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Lean picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Tecia Pennington

Cody leans Torres but is not fully confident. He acknowledges Dern's submission threat but thinks Torres' speed and volume will be key. Cody notes Dern's takedown struggles and that Torres has been taken down before, but believes the big cage favors Torres. He considers Dern by submission at +250 as a possible path but thinks Torres wins by decision more often.

Dern by submission +250
"i think more often than not teacher taurus wins by decision which is at giraffe king sportsbook right now tours by decision plus 130"
DA
Daniel Levi Expert Confident picked Apr 8, 2022 (1 day before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Levi acknowledges Tecia Torres's volume and striking advantage, but believes Dern's elite jiu-jitsu is a step above the competition. He thinks Dern will eventually get a hold of Torres and take the fight to the mat, possibly finishing by submission. He is not betting this fight because Torres could avoid takedowns and win a decision, but he picks Dern.

Dern by submission (plus 250, mentioned as a possible prop)
"i just think that mckenzie durn is a step above the competition in that weight class at in grappling"
MM
MMA Lock of the Night Expert Confident picked Apr 5, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Tecia Pennington

I think Torres is the better fighter with superior speed, combinations, and takedown defense. Dern has poor takedown accuracy (3 of 28 in UFC) and Torres will keep the fight standing. Torres will get in and out with strikes and win a decision. I also like Torres by TKO at +600 as a sprinkle.

Torres by TKO +600 (sprinkle)
"I am going to go with the Tisha Torres side here I think she's the better fighter I think she'll be quicker on the feet better with the combinations... I'll take her to win this fight via decision."
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Apr 6, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Tecia Pennington

Paul likes Torres at even money, citing her far better striking, speed, and experience. He notes Dern's takedowns are a mess and that Torres has only lost to the best in the division. Paul thinks Torres boxes Dern up, staying in and out, and that Dern's only path is a submission, which is unlikely. He expects Torres to win by decision, which is plus money.

Torres by decision +130
"i like torrez at those odds for sure far more experienced far better striker"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Apr 4, 2022 (5 days before fight)
Tecia Pennington

The MMA Guru picks Tecia Torres (Tecia Pennington) as an underdog, citing her wrestling and speed. He expects her to stuff takedowns and piece up Dern on the feet, leading to a corner stoppage in the second round. He notes Dern's poor striking and only recently starting hard sparring.

underdog pick, corner stoppage prediction in round 2
"i'm gonna go if tcha torres over mackenzie dern... she's a evens odds against her... i gotta go underdog here with tisha torres"
Expert Picks (3)
CO
Cody Saftic Expert Hesitant picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Cody also picks Dern by submission but expresses hesitations about her takedown accuracy (9%) and ability to get the fight to the ground consistently. He notes that Yan Xiaonan is tough and has good takedown defense, and that Dern's path to victory is entirely on the mat. He suggests live betting Yan if Dern fails to secure early takedowns, and mentions that Dern's submission win is the most logical outcome but not a lock.

Dern by submission; live betting Yan Xiaonan if Dern can't get takedowns
"I will take Dern by submission but again I got my hesitations"
PA
Paul Shaughnessy Expert Confident picked Sep 28, 2022 (3 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

Paul picks Mackenzie Dern by submission, noting her world-class jiu-jitsu and ability to get the fight to the ground via pulling guard or ugly clinch work. He acknowledges her one-dimensional striking and that Yan Xiaonan will likely win the standup, but believes Dern's durability and submission threat will prevail. He mentions the over/under on prize picks and the inside distance prop, but his official pick is Dern by submission.

Dern by submission; over 2.5 rounds minus 140; inside distance minus 111; submission minus 103
"Dern by submission that's my official pick"
TH
The MMA Guru Expert Confident picked Sep 27, 2022 (4 days before fight)
Mackenzie Dern

The MMA Guru believes Mackenzie Dern's elite BJJ will be the deciding factor over five rounds. He notes that Yan Xiaonan has lost two straight and was dominated by Carla Esparza, who used a similar grappling-heavy game plan. He thinks Dern will eventually get the fight to the ground and secure a submission, as Yan has not faced a grappler of Dern's level since a faded Claudia Gadelha. He acknowledges Yan could win rounds early but expects Dern's persistence to pay off.

submission finish
"I think over the 25 minutes Dern wears her down, gets her down and gets the submission."