Mackenzie Dern earned her second win over the year tonight at UFC 256 with a unanimous decision victory over Virna Jandiroba.
Round One:
Dern snaps out the jab to start. Inside leg kick from Dern. Jandiroba starting to let her hands go. Dern moves in with purpose throwing punches.
Jandiroba lands a nice punch. Glancing right hand for Dern. She lets off a one-two but comes up short. Brief exchange and Dern gets through with a right hand.
Right hand scores for Dern and then an overhand. Jandiroba still finding her range. She swing an overhand attempt.
Dern throwing heat into a short flurry of right hands and then goes in for a takedown attempt against the cage. She’s in on a single leg for now and Jandiroba is successfully managing to stay upright for now and even lands a knee to the body too.
More knees from Jandiroba and then pushes away. Body kick for Jandiroba and then a punch. Dern reaching with a punch and briefly clinches against the cage.
Dern with a right hand. She ducks under a punch. One-two for Jandiroba. Leg kick for Dern and then thinks about the clinch, but they end the round looking to land more strikes.
Round Two:
Nice right hand for Dern. Jandiroba still trying to really find the mark cleanly with her offense, but just at that moment she lands a right hand of her own.
Body punch for Jandiroba. she lands another. Both ladies missing strikes here. Dern tries to pull guard, but Jandiroba is not interested.
Another clinch position now and it’s Jandiroba this time who is working it, but after a nice knee they go back to striking.
Another clinch. They split and Dern lands a nice punch. Now an accidental eyepoke from Dern forces a stoppage to give Jandiroba time to recover.
Back to it they go now. Dern swinging hard and gets caught with a knee and then is in on a single-leg, but though she gets her to her knees, she gets straight back up and presses Dern up against the cage.
Dern bleeding from what could be a broken nose and Jandiroba gets her down. Dern’s face quickly covering in blood from her leaking nose, which was damaged due to a knee.
Dern trying to make the best of the situation and is trying for a leg lock. Jandiroba still ok though and manages to make it to the end of the round safely.
Round Three:
One-two for Jandiroba. Now a hard left hand as Dern was looking for a spinning attack. Dern with a hard jab. Another jab from Dern as Jandiroba was looking to land too.
Dern swooops for a takedown, but it doesn’t pay off and Jandiroba turns her into the cage. They go back to striking. One-two for Jandiroba. Dern ducks into a right hand.
Body kick for Dern. Left hand for Jandiroba. Jab for Dern. Again she connects with it. Grazing right from Jandiroba.
Dern lands a right hand and Jandiroba wilted just for a moment as she backed up to the cage. Dern in on a single leg against the cage. however, it’s Jandiroba who manages to gets her to the mat instead. Dern attempting to land upkicks and then they are stood back up.
Into the clinch and Dern lands an uppercut. Both ladies swinging for the fences now. One-two for Dern. Hard body kick from Dern.
Jab scores for Dern. Jandiroba lands in return. Another solid body kick for Dern. Then the jab again. Another gets through. Knee to the body for Jandiroba. Dern into a takedown attempt against the cage and Jandiroba lands another knee to the midsection.
Jandiroba drops down working on an armbar attempt. Dern looking to get her arm free while securing top position as the round comes to an end.
Decision:
So Dern suffered some adversity in this fight, including what appeared to be a broken nose, but a solid opening round and a gusty final five minutes helped her get the better of Jandiroba by unanimous decision (29-28 x3).
