Mackenzie Dern vs. Marina Rodriguez lived up to the expectations of the headliner of a UFC show.
The two fighters met in a bout on Saturday (October 9, 2021) at the UFC Vegas 39 event from Las Vegas, Nevada at the UFC Apex facility. The opening round was mostly Rodriguez as Dern was extending widely to land strikes. Dern did try to clinch, but Rodriguez managed to separate. In the second round, Dern scored a takedown and got her back while working on the right arm. Dern got full mount and rained down strikes.
There was a swing in the third round as Rodriguez came out firing and landing at will while Dern had a hard time finding the range. The fourth round saw Rodriguez continue to outstrike her. Dern, who looked tired, could only land when she rushed and got in some combos. However, Dern would bull rush and lose her target.
Dern did get a takedown with 35 seconds left in the fourth round despite being busted up in the striking department still. They went back to striking in the final round. The judges gave the win to Rodriguez.
Peep the highlights of the fight courtesy of the UFC’s official Twitter account:
Dern had a 7-0 record in professional MMA including wins over Amanda Cooper at the UFC 224 pay-per-view event and her promotional debut against Ashley Yoder at UFC 222, where she scored a split decision win. Dern lost to Amanda Ribas at the UFC Tampa event in October 2019. Since that loss, she ripped off four straight wins over Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos, Virna Jandiroba, and Nina Nunes.
Rodriguez entered this fight with a 14-1–2 record. After going 9-0, she earned a spot on Dana White‘s Contender Series and after winning that fight, she got a UFC contract. Since being with the UFC, she has gone 4-1-1 including a TKO win over Amanda Ribas and a decision victory over Michelle Waterson in her previous fights.
UFC Vegas 39 Results: Mackenzie Dern vs. Marina Rodriguez, Randy Brown vs. Jared Gooden
MMA News has you covered with results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits from UFC Vegas 39. Be sure to keep checking the homepage for the latest news.
