Mackenzie Dern got the better of Loopy Godinez on the scorecards tonight at UFC On ABC 7 to get back to winning ways.
Round One:
Jab for Godinez. Missed front kick upstairs from Dern. Jab for Godinez again. Low kick from Dern.
Right hand from Dern. Jab for Godinez. Nice left from Godinez as she presses forward with her guard high.
Low kick from Dern but Godinez uses that to take her down. She doesn’t follow her down to the mat though and so Dern has to get back up.
Now it’s Dern who looks to clinch up and turns Godinez into the cage. Godinez turns her around though and breaks free.
Nice right hand down the pipe from Godinez. Jab for her and then Dern fires off a combo. Exchange of punches in close and Godinez finishes with a nice right hand.
As Godinez goes to exchange again Dern manages to clinch up and trip her to the mat. Dern straight into full mount. Godinez tries to buck her off, but she remains stuck underneath the BJJ ace with 90 seconds of the round remaining.
Dern thinks about an armbar, but doesn’t commit to it. Godinez tries to sweep on top, but Dern immediately latches onto her arm. Godinez now in defensive mode as she tries to prevent that arm from being extended.
Godinez surviving for now but eating a few strikes from Dern as she continues trying to work the armbar attempt from her back. Godinez safer now as the round draws to a close.
Round two:
Solid right hook for Dern. Now a hook from Godinez. Godinez clinches up and Dern is trying to hop up and try to work her grappling with her back up against the cage.
They go back to striking range. Dern lands a punch. Jab for Godinez. Straight pubnch from Dern. Inside leg kick from Godinez. Back to the jab for her.
Jab for Dern. Dern presses forward throwing but misses and Godinez catches her with a hook.
jab for Godinez. Dern tries to clinch but doesn’t stays there. Jab again from Godinez. Body kick from Godinez and Dern tries to grab it, but Godinez pushes her away.
Godinez lands a punch as Dern was off-balance and it knocks her to the mat. Godinez doesn’t follow her down so she gets back up.
Solid one-two for Dern and Godinez lands a punch after. Jab for Dern. Nice right hand for her. Calf kick for Dern.
Godinez drives into a double leg and lands it. She tries to keep Dern down, but is unable to. She stays clinched up though and is working a standing triangle now against the cage. Dern seems ok though and is trying to work her way out of the position as the round ends.
Round Three:
Dern aggressive to start as she marches forward with punches, but then gets caught with a solid counter.
Dern knocked back with another punch after being off-balance. She’s not really hurt though, but looks to settle back down again.
Dern drives in for a takedown and does well to land it. Dern working for a guillotine choke briefly but doesn’t commit to it. Godinez scrambling back up with Dern trying to threaten with a choke. Godinez gets out of that and now has Dern pressed up against the cage.
Dern moves away. Nice left hand over the top from Godinez. Right hand for Dern and a left behind it. Body kick for Dern.
Body punch for Godinez as she presses forward. Nice double jab for Godinez. She lands a left hook. Front kick to the body from Dern.
Godinez with a counter. Godinez ducks under a punch and clinches up. She goes over to the cage but Dern turns her into the fence instead.
Godinez gets away. Final 10 seconds and Godinez was trying to shoot in for a takedown but has to settle for the clinch against the cage instead. Dern trying to land with her back up against the cage as the round ends.
Decision:
A competitive fight then, and while her striking is still a work in progress Dern showed she can find some success on the feet and also had some notable moments on the mat too, which allows her to edge out a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
