UFC Fight Night 224 was all sweat and uproar as Mackenzie Dern and Angela Hill faced off in the octagon.
What was at stake? The third-degree jiu-jitsu blackbelt!
The fight had fans on their toes as the two contenders went back and forth in the main event in Las Vegas. Dern dominated the cage with her aggressive approach and won by unanimous decision.
Continue reading for the details of how the fight played out.
Dern seemed determined to take home the Blackbelt from the beginning of the strawweight bout.
Meanwhile, an overwhelmed Hill tried to stay on her feet in the first round. By the end, Dern had her opponent in a clinch which took Hill significant muscle power to release herself from.
Dern then tried a few more aggressive attempts at maintaining her dominance which Hill reversed in newfound stimulation.
Both women rose to their feet again, but a short while later, Dern hit Hill with a powerful right before following her to the floor.
Hill avoided a kneebar attempt while Dern engaged in a half-guard. Hill survived the encounter despite Dern jumping with full force and landing powerful elbows before switching to an armbar.
Round two saw comparable action on both ends.
Dern was still on the offensive, but Hill didn’t come slow either. She grappled Dern’s back and momentarily tried to suffocate her by grabbing her neck, but Dern managed to escape.
Hill persisted in clinching Dern to drag the action down, but Dern ultimately managed to break free again.
Things went against her anticipation, and Hill re-seized her. Then she pressed her up against the cage.
Round three witnessed Dern slipping on her back while attempting a kick.
Hill jumped on the ground after her but found herself in an epic triangle choke. She still got up, but a knee from Dern sent her right back.
Dern then seized the opportunity to score a takedown quickly. The master of Brazilian jiu-jitsu switched to full mount and applied some pressure. Hill evaded danger by circling and turning, but Dern persisted in the assault.
Dern locked onto an armbar as the round’s clock ticked down, but Hill gripped on and escaped being caught.
Hill’s impending loss was apparent as she entered the octagon in Round Four with a visible mark on her eye. But Dern had no mercy.
Hill managed to hold onto the clinch but could not do any damage. Dern attempted to take down Hill by pushing up against the barrier but was unsuccessful. Dern admired the takedown by Hill that concluded the round.
Dern returned in round Five with a mission to dominate. She approached Hill with a head-and-arm toss after taking the lead.
This time, she successfully kept Hill on the mat for the whole round. Meanwhile, she relentlessly attempted submissions.
The round’s finale saw a prominent ground and pound from Dern’s side to end the bout.
With a victory under her belt, Dern called out former champion Rose Namajunas to fight next.
She also didn’t shy from taking up Yan Xiaonan to redeem her previous loss in UFC Fight Night 211.
Which one of these fights might Dern end up in next? Comment below and let us know your vote!
