Mackenzie Dern stepped inside the ring after almost eight months to headline the UFC Vegas 73 event against Angela Hill in a five-round women’s strawweight bout. Both the fighters put on an impressive showing and as a result, they walked away with a $50k bonus each for the Fight of the Night.
No doubt about it đ„@MackenzieDern and @AngieOverkill earn your #UFCVegas73 Fight of the Night!
[ B2YB @ToyoTires ] pic.twitter.com/EbHFG8ErK1
— UFC (@ufc) May 21, 2023
Despite not featuring a lot of big names, this event had a lot of exciting bouts and finishes to keep the viewers on the edge of their seats. Apart from the main event between Dern and Hill, there weren’t many Fight of the Night award contenders. Because both strawweight exchanged big blows on the feet and the fight was entertaining throughout the five rounds.
But in the end, it was Mackenzie Dern who got the last laugh in this matchup as she won the fight 49-43, 49-44 and 49-44 via unanimous decision. The strawweight contender bounced back and put in the work and completely dominated Overkill in all departments. She left no stone unturned and landed some powerful strikes.
49-43
49-44
49-44@MackenzieDern 2.0 has arrived! 𫶠#UFCVegas73 pic.twitter.com/qPJlJumtli— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) May 21, 2023
One could even argue that this was Dern’s best performance since making her debut in the UFC. Mackenzie almost finished the fight in the first round as she locked Hill in an armbar. However, Angela Hill showed great heart and survived the onslaught. Moreover, despite taking a beating in this bout she was ready to exchange blows in the standup.
What’s next for Mackenzie Dern after her win over Angela Hill at UFC Vegas 73?
Despite not securing a finish against Angela Hill at UFC Vegas 73, Mackenzie Dern has received a lot of plaudits from fans and fighters. It is needless to say that she made a statement by dominating a tough opponent who was on a two-fight winning streak. Following her one-sided win, she spoke to Michael Bisping in the post-fight interview.
"What's Rose up to?" – @MackenzieDern đ#UFCVegas73 pic.twitter.com/MOu7VWVvSt
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) May 21, 2023
While having a conversation, Mackenzie Dern expressed her wish of fighting Rose Namajunas next. This would be an interesting matchup to watch for fans as both the strawweights are good strikes and it would be entertaining as neither of them would back down.
However, this matchup seems unlikely when you see the rank difference. Rose is #2 in the division and Dern is #8 right now. The best fight to climb through the ranks for Mackenzie would be against Jessica Andrade. Because the Brazilian is coming off a loss in her last bout and a win over her would help Dern leapfrog Andrade in the division and get one step closer to the title shot.
