Mackenzie Dern has not yet made her expected turn toward full-fledged contention in the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight division.
The 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist will attempt to make further progress at 115 pounds when she takes on Angela Hill in the UFC Fight Night 223 headliner on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Dern has lost two of her past three fights. She last appeared on Oct. 1, when she wound up on the wrong side of a majority decision against Xiaonan Yan at UFC Fight Night 211. Hill, meanwhile, enters the cage on the heels of back-to-back wins. The former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder last competed at UFC on ESPN 42, where she outpointed Emily Ducote to a unanimous verdict on Dec. 3.
As Dern and Hill make final preparations for their forthcoming showdown in Sin City, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:
30: Years of age for Dern, who was born in Phoenix on March 24, 1993.
7: Dern victories by submission, accounting for 58% of her career total (12). Her methods of choice: three rear-naked chokes, three armbars and one kneebar. Dern holds five other victories by decision (42%).
200,000: Dollars in post-fight bonuses banked by Dern across her 10 assignments in the UFC. She has been awarded “Performance of the Night” three times and “Fight of the Night” once.
82: Significant strikes landed by Dern in her three-round unanimous decision over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256 on Dec. 12, 2020. It established a personal high-water mark that stands to this day.
.821: Cumulative winning percentage between the three opponents—Yan, Marina Rodriguez and Amanda Ribas—who have beaten Dern. They boast a combined record of 45-9-2.
38: Years of age for Hill, who was born on Jan. 12, 1985 in Clinton, Maryland.
5: Hill wins by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 33% of her career total (15). Her list of UFC victims: Hannah Cifers and Ariane Carnelossi. Hill owns 10 other wins by decision (67%).
99: Seconds needed for Hill to put away Alida Gray with a knee to the body at Invicta 15 on Jan. 16, 2016. More than seven years later, it remains her fastest finish to date.
71: Rounds completed by Hill as a professional mixed martial artist. She has gone the distance on 20 different occasions and carries a 10-10 record in those bouts.
166: Combined victories between the 11 opponents—Yan, Jandiroba, Tecia Torres (twice), Amanda Lemos, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Claudia Gadelha, Randa Markos, Cortney Casey, Nina Nunes, Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas—who have defeated Hill. They sport a cumulative .690 winning percentage at 166-74-2.
More must-reads: