Mackenzie Dern successfully defended her strawweight title with a largely one-sided but somewhat lackluster outing against Gillian Robertson in the UFC 330 co-main event.
Takedowns and submission attempts ruled the day for Dern as she came close to finishing Robertson a couple of times during the fight but she mostly just maintained control and showed she was the superior grappler. Robertson really didn't produce any offense until the final round and even then she just managed to stay in control on the ground without really damaging Dern.
When it was over the judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47 with Dern getting the unanimous decision victory.
“I'm super happy,†Dern said about her win. “My first title win I got taken down a lot of times so I've been working on my wrestling. I'm still the champion. I definitely wanted to submit her, that was the goal. I try to get submissions in all my fights. I wish I could do some more damage to set up the submissions.â€
A striking exchange led to Robertson shooting for a takedown but Dern countered effectively before the strawweights separated again. Dern was very effective with her combinations including a stiff leg kick that kept chipping away at Robertson's base.
A moment later, Dern scored her first takedown and she immediately began raining down punches before advancing to half-guard. That led to Dern briefly looking for a kimura but she maintained a dominant position and eventually taking the back.
Dern quickly snatched a rear-naked choke and it looked like the fight was over but Robertson stayed tough and she survived until the horn sounded to end the round.
On the restart, Dern immediately took Robertson to the ground again and she was quick to start setting up submissions. A second later, Dern took the back and tried an unorthodox arm triangle choke that ended up with Robertson getting on top, although she was still stuck playing defense with the champion constantly attacking with submission attempts.
Robertson did manage to connect with some solid uppercuts when she finally grabbed onto Dern in the clinch but she just wasn't able to do much damage. Dern was still landing solid punches of her own including a stiff jab that was constantly finding Robertson's chin.
As soon as Robertson got a little too aggressive, Dern countered with a takedown to bring the fight back to her world on the canvas. Time ran out before she could do much of anything but Dern still exerted her superior control whenever she turned to her grappling.
Dern snatched another takedown in the fourth round and quickly moved to take the back while locking on the body triangle. From there, Dern kept searching for the rear-naked choke but she just couldn't secure the submission.
With five minutes remaining, Robertson finally secured a takedown of her own but she just couldn't produce much offense with Dern defending from the bottom. That's effectively how the whole round played out with Dern immediately celebrating her victory after the final horn sounded.
Dern now has a title defense on her resume as she awaits her next challenge with former champion Zhang Weili as the most desired opponent if she decides to compete again at 115 pounds.
Raoni
Barcelos says medical testing has yet to determine why he lost
consciousness during his
Ultimate Fighting Championship headliner against Raul Rosas
Jr.
Barcelos faced Rosas Jr. in the main event of
UFC Vegas 121 last month. The Brazilian led on the judges'
scorecards entering the fifth round but lost consciousness during a
grappling exchange against the fence. Rosas Jr. was awarded a
technical knockout victory, and the 39-year-old Barcelos was
transported to a Level 1 trauma center.
Raoni Barcelos undergoes medical tests after losing
consciousness against Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC Vegas 121
Barcelos said he is undergoing tests in Las Vegas to determine what
happened. He hopes to continue fighting but has not ruled out
retirement.
“Unfortunately, we don't know what happened,†Barcelos told MMA
Fighting. “It was a sudden illness. I fell ill and I felt my whole
body really starting to go numb. After that, I don't remember
anything. I only remember [arriving] in the ambulance, asking my
father what happened, and him trying to explain it as best as he
could. It really was an unfortunate [circumstance]. I got sick and
to this day we still don't understand. I'm undergoing a battery of
tests here in [Las] Vegas. I had another on Monday and we're
waiting for a good result. The doctor hasn't released the results
yet and everything is being kept confidential. But I feel better
every day.â€
Barcelos (22-6) entered the bout on a five-fight winning streak. He
has competed in the UFC since 2018, compiling an 11-5 promotional
record with victories over Said
Nurmagomedov, Cody
Garbrandt and Payton
Talbott.
Raoni
Barcelos is still waiting for a diagnosis after his mysterious
health scare: “We don't know what happened. It was a sudden
illness. I fell ill, and I felt my whole body really starting to go
numb. After that, I don't remember anything.” (🎥 @guicruzzz)
https://t.co/dVJzTkkBkl
MMA Fighting has Brand Risk 16 results for the West vs. Beasley fight card and more from the Brand Risk Warehouse in Miami, Fla., on Friday night.
In the most notable fight, NBA veterans Delonte West and Michael Beasley clash in a heavyweight boxing fight.
Deshae Frost and YK Osiris is the new main event after Wendy Ortiz failed to clear medicals for the Florida State Athletic Commission to postpone her clash against Yera, according to a statement by Brand Risk.
The fight between King Azoulay and Supa Hot Fire was not approved by the commission as well.
Darren Till gets honest about his performance in win over Yoel Romero
Jasmine Jasudavicius is looking to cement herself as a title contender at UFC Edmonton.
Jasudavicius is set to take on Erin Blanchfield in the co-main event of UFC Edmonton. Jasudavicius enters the bout as a +255 underdog while the American is a -350 favorite on FanDuel. The fight was supposed to happen at UFC 330 in August, but an injury to Blanchfield delayed it to August. Although the Canadian was frustrated to have the fight postponed, she is ecstatic for it to be taking place in Edmonton now.
“That is exactly it. It was like two weeks out that I heard it was being moved,†Jasudavicius said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Initially, I was so frustrated because I just put in a whole camp. I was ready, my weight was good, and I was firing on all cylinders. It got moved, and at least we are fighting in Canada now. This works out even better.â€
With extra time, Jasudavicius said she did take some time off to avoid burnout. But she also feels like the extra time will only help her, as she knows Blanchfield is one of the best in the world.
“She's talented; she's one of the top fighters in the world. I won't be talking too much shit. She's skilled, but I know how skilled I am, and I am ready to test myself against the best girls in the world,†Jasudavicius said.
Jasmine Jasudavicius hopeful to earn title shot at UFC Edmonton
Although Jasudavicius is an underdog, she has full confidence in her skillset. She believes she is better on the feet. So, she expects Blanchfield to try and wrestle her a ton, especially once she lands a couple of punches.
If Jasudavicius can turn Blanchfield into just a wrestler, she is confident she will be able to pull off the upset win at UFC Edmonton.
“I'm not too sure. I've watched all of her fights, and it's not like she's going to the wrestling right away; she is comfortable with striking. But I do think once she feels these hands, she will be shooting a little bit more. … My hand will be raised at the end of the night,†Jasudavicius said.
If Jasudavicius gets her hand raised, she believes it will cement her as a title contender at flyweight. And, it would set up a rematch with Natalia Silva, which the Canadian would be thrilled to get the chance to not only avenge her loss, but to take the belt off her.
“It would mean a lot; it's a big milestone,†Jasudavicius concluded. “Just getting into the UFC is a big deal; getting 10 fights in the UFC is a big deal; to get 10 wins is another feather in my cap. … That would be my dream. She gave me the lost which hurt, so if I can take the belt off her, it would fulfill me. I show well, say I finish Blanchfield, it would be me in the talks to get a title shot.â€
Do you think Jasmine Jasudavicius will beat Erin Blanchfield at UFC Edmonton?