The ‘UFC 256 – ‘FIGUEIREDO VS MORENO’ PPV main card just saw a predominantly standup war between two world class grappling greats in the UFC’s #11 ranked strawweight, Mackenzie Dern, and the #13 rated, Virna Jandiroba. Each fighter had their respective rounds heading into the final frame, but it was Dern who did enough to sway the judges and take home the unanimous decision. Dern showcased some noticeable technical polish added to her striking game, and even displayed a bit of grit to overcome a likely broken nose to advance her record to 10-1.
Dern went right at Jandiroba, throwing hard punches and looking to push the pace. Jandiroba responded with a strong flurry of her own, but Dern seemed to hold the advantage in the striking department. They did grapple a little bit in the clinch, but the fight stalled out there before returning to open space. Jandiroba picked things up towards of the end of the round, landing a solid body kick and a sneaky elbow.
Dern started strong in the second round, coming forward and working her boxing. Jandiroba responded with a set of jabs to back of Dern’s aggression. In the middle of an exchange, Dern poked Jandiroba in the eye, bringing the bout to a sudden halt. Jandiroba wiped her eye and the bout resumed. Dern got aggressive again, but she ate a knee to the nose that busted it wide open. She pulled guard to recover and spent the remaining time fighting off of her back.
Dern had another hot start in the third frame, taking fierce boxing combos to Jandiroba. They clinched up again, but again neither fighter was able to gain an advantage. Dern scored with another flurry of punches that had Jandiroba backpedalling to the cage. That’s where Dern pulled guard again, but Jandiroba elected to step away. Back on the feet, they began to slug it out. They were both connecting, but it seemed like Dern was landing the harder strikes. With less than 30-seconds left in the fight, Jandiroba jumped for a flying armbar, but Dern quickly escaped to finish the round on top.
Mackenzie Dern def. Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision (29-28 x3): Strawweight
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