Brazilian jiu-jitsu phenom Mackenzie Dern 7-1, 4 SUBs will meet Hannah “Shockwave” Cifers 10-4, 5 KOs at UFC Fight Night on Saturday, May 30, at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card streams live on ESPN+.
It’s not often that a fighter enters the UFC with as much hype as Mackenzie Dern. One of the decorated women’s grapplers of all time, Dern was dubbed “The Next Ronda Rousey” before she even stepped foot inside the octagon. Since joining the big show, the results have been somewhat mixed - she is most definitely not the next Rowdy.
In Dern’s UFC debut, she barely eked by journeywoman Ashley Yoder with a split decision. From the get go, it’s been clear that the 26-year old has a long way to go before she can be considered a contender. Her followup against Amanda Cooper went much better - a first round submission - but Dern announced that she would be taking time off due to pregnancy. When she returned a year later, Dern dropped a listless decision to Amanda Ribas.
This Saturday, Dern fights for the first time in 2020 when she meets Hannah Cifers. There really isn’t much to say about Cifers except that she’s a warm body in a crowded division. The 27-year old has managed a 2-2 record inside the octagon, with losses to Maycee Barber and Angela Hill sandwiched around Polyana Viana and Jodie Esquibel.
The UFC odds at BookMaker.eu opened with Dern as a massive -385 favorite, with Cifers at +283 on the comeback. Let’s break down the matchup and dive into your best UFC betting picks here. Live UFC betting is available at BookMaker.eu during the fight as well.
Mackenzie Dern -410
Hannah Cifers +298
Fight goes/doesn’t go to decision: -150 / +120
Significant Striking Stats
Strikes landed per minute: Dern 3.24 / Cifers 4.82
Striking accuracy: Dern 32% / Cifers 45%
Strikes absorbed per minute: Dern 4.07 / Cifers 5.55
Striking defense: Dern 64% / Cifers 53%
Grappling Stats
Takedowns per 15 minutes: Dern 0.46 / Cifers 0.32
Takedown accuracy: Dern 8% / Cifers 100%
Takedown defense: Dern 0% / Cifers 64%
Submission average: Dern 0.9 / Cifers 0.3
There really isn’t that much to say about Cifers - her .500 UFC record sums up her talent perfectly. She has solid basic skills and an effective game. Though Cifers is small for the division, she makes up for it with excellent cardio and a high striking output. Nobody’s going to be overwhelmed by her standup, but she’s not going to be an easy out for anyone either.
Obviously, Cifers will need to avoid the ground at all costs. Luckily, Dern’s offensive wrestling is nowhere near the level of her submission game. That 8% takedown accuracy isn’t an outlier - it’s an accurate description of her wrestling. Through three UFC fights, Dern has shown zero ability to take down her opponents besides dragging them to the mat. If she can evolve that part of her game, the BJJ ace has the potential to become a contender very, very quickly. But that’s a big if.
Right now, Dern has been content to try and swang-and-bang her way to victory. We’re not sure if it’s because she knows that takedowns would be a waste of energy, or if it’s just irrational confidence in her athletic ability. What we do know is that she can hit hard, but Dern has obviously been all about grappling. The striking is a major work in progress, and we’ve seen little else but wild haymakers.
Though this is a stay-busy fight for Dern - who has legit starpower - she is just too much of a wild card to recommend. In fact, we’re going the other way and betting against her. If Cifers can avoid the takedowns, she will have the advantage on the feet. She has a much better chance of taking two of three rounds than the odds suggest.
