A potential title challenger could emerge from the strawweight battle between Mackenzie Dern and Marina Rodriguez that headlines Saturday’s UFC Vegas 39 fight card from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
Dern, a vaunted grappler before she dedicated herself to MMA in 2016, has steadily improved her overall MMA game since she joined the UFC in 2018. Dern still relies on her ground skills, as her three first-round submissions in her past four victories can attest, but she is much more comfortable and confident in her striking these days.
That striking could come into play when she faces Rodriguez, who is on a two-fight winning streak heading into Saturday night.