The UFC’s October 1, 2022 Fight Night main event is set.
Mackenzie Dern (12-2) will get to headline her second UFC show when she takes on Yan Xiaonan (15-3, 1NC) in a strawweight showdown atop the card. No location or venue for the event has been reported.
Cageside Press confirmed the booking following an initial report by ESPN.
Dern recently got back in the win column when she won a split decision against Tecia Torres at UFC 273 in April. Prior to that, Dern had dropped a unanimous decision to strawweight contender Marina Rodriguez when the pair headlined UFC Vegas 39 on October 9, 2021.
Born in Phoenix, AZ the 29-year old Dern was a Brazilian jiu-jitsu sensation prior to transitioning to MMA. She twice won the Brazilian national championship, in addition to six Asian Open gold medals (four representing the U.S., two more competing for Brazil), and three World Cup gold medals. In 2015, she won gold at the ADCC World Championship.
In short, China’s Xiaonan would be wise to avoid going to the ground with Dern, who transitioned to MMA in 2016, competing for Legacy FC/LFA, Invicta FC, and the UFC starting in 2018.
Four years into her UFC run, Dern has posted a 7-2 record inside the octagon.
Xiaonan started her UFC run on a six fight win streak, and looked as if she might be China’s next hope for a world champion, following in the footsteps of Weili Zhang and ONE Championship’s Xiong Jing Nan. In recent years, however, Xiaonan has hit a few speed bumps, losing back-to-back fights against Carla Esparza and most recently Marina Rodriguez.
For a full decade from 2010 to 2020, however, the Chinese star went undefeated.
The UFC’s October 1, 2022 Fight Night event currently has the following fights reported:
- Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan
- Leah Letson vs. Chelsea Chandler
- Vinc Pichel vs. Jesse Ronson
- Cheyanne Vlismas vs. Tabatha Ricci
- Randy Costa vs. Guido Cannetti
