UFC Fight Night: Dern v Hill preview & best bets – 21/5/2023
| UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs Angela Hill MMA Betting Odds & Fight Info | |
|---|---|
| When | Sunday, May 21 – main card from 9am AEST |
| Where | UFC Apex – Las Vegas, USA |
| Watch live | Main Event |
This weekend’s UFC Fight Night from the Apex in Vegas is headlined by a must-win fight for Mackenzie Dern when she faces MMA veteran Angela Hill. Dern has long been considered a potential challenger at women’s strawweight, but after some recent hiccups, it is time to make a statement with a big performance.
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Hill main event preview
#8 Mackenzie Dernvs 
#14 Angel Hill |
| -178.57 at Marantelli Bet | UFC betting odds | +145 at Marantelli Bet |
| 12-3-0 | MMA records | 15-12-0 |
| 30 | Age | 38 |
| 5’4″ | Height | 5’3″ |
| 115.5lbs | Weight | 115.5lbs |
| 63″ | Reach | 64.5″ |
| USA | Nationality | USA |
| Los Angeles, California | Fighting out of | New York City, New York |
Mackenzie Dern (12-3-0) is the No.8-ranked women’s strawweight in the UFC and a highly accomplished grappler with multiple BJJ world titles to her name. She was building toward a possible shot at the UFC title with a solid winning run of 11-1 but has dropped two of her last four bouts, going down to Yan Xiaonan and Marina Alcalde Rodriguez. The losses have slowed her momentum toward contender status, and the fan favourite will need an impressive win here to get back on track.
Dern’s weakness is a lack of aggression in the standup portion of her fights, and all her professional MMA losses have come via decision. She has a solid chin, excellent ground game, and decent striking, so there is no reason she cannot challenge for a top-five ranking in the division. Dern needs to work on producing enough output to ensure the judges rule in her favour when she is unable to land a submission win.
Angela Hill (15-12-0) is a tough and gritty fighter who made her UFC debut back in 2015. Since then, she has compiled a 50/50 win-loss record, and at age 38 she must be nearing the end of her MMA journey. Hill is a technically sound striker but lacks the power to end her fights via knockout and her last nine bouts have all gone the distance. She has been submitted twice as a professional, which will be of interest to Dern and her coaching team.
Hill has won her most recent two outings, but both opponents were unranked, and Dern represents a rise in class. In her early career she shared the ring with some of the finest women’s MMA talent, including Jessica Andrade, Rose Namajunas, and Tecia Torres, but failed to grab the win on each occasion. Hill’s best shot at victory appears to rely on maintaining a long range that suits her kicks and avoids the dangerous ground game of Dern.
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Dern vs Hill UFC Fight Night predictions & best bets
This looks a relatively soft contest for Mackenzie Dern. She is facing a lower-ranked opponent, so there is no real upside and the pressure to finish the contest will rest on her shoulders. The danger is that she is unable to land takedowns and loses a low-volume standup fight. Hill has a superior jab and some nice kicks in her arsenal, so Dern will need to close the distance and work from the inside either with standup grappling or judo-style throws that lead to submission attempts. We expect that as the younger and hungrier fighter with more on the line, Dern will find a way to get the job done.
If you are chasing additional value with the UFC bookmakers, back Dern to win by submission and hope she lands an early takedown.
