Mackenzie Dern and Angela Hill were not in the marquee when the fight was signed but now find themselves front and center on the poster. The women’s strawweight tilt headlines UFC’s return to the Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Dern (12-3) is arguably the most successful women’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete in history. Naturally, expectations were lofty upon her transition to mixed martial arts. She has generally been successful, only falling short against rising contenders with more well-rounded games. Dern’s preparation for the Hill fight experienced turbulence after the UFC moved the fight back one week from a three-round fight in Charlotte to a five-round main event at the Apex.
“Really just the mental fatigue you have after having a whole camp,” Dern told CBS Sports. “You schedule your whole camp and train so that you reach your best moment on the day of the fight. You’re getting there and suddenly it’s like, ‘Oh shoot. It’s pushed back.’
“One week isn’t that big of a push compared to a month, but you’re so ready for it to be over with. You’re so ready to go there and punch someone and take them down and choke them. Go out there and get the win and put all that energy from training into the …
