UFC Vegas 73: Dern vs. Hill – Betting Preview
Knocked back a week ahead of a scheduled showdown at UFC on ABC 4 last weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina – a strawweight pairing between Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Mackenzie Dern, and former undisputed Invicta FC champion, Angela Hill is slated to headline the promotion’s return to Nevada for UFC Vegas 73.
Promoted to a five-round main event showing following the cancellation of a bantamweight rematch between incoming title challenger, Irene Aldana and former championship chaser, Raquel Pennington – Phoenix native, Dern returns in her third Octagon headliner and second straight main event clash as she takes on Hill.
Suffering defeat last time out – just the third in her 15-fight professional career, Arizona-born grappler, Dern dropped a main event decision loss to Yan Xiaonan – who turned in a recent first round KO win over former champion, Jessica Andrade – and is widely expected to fight the winner of a UFC 292 title affair between compatriot, Zhang Weili, and Amanda Lemos.
As for Hill, the current #14 ranked strawweight has witnessed somewhat of a career resurgence as of recent times, racking up consecutive decision wins over both Lupita Godinez, and Emily Ducote.
However, despite the recent run of form falling the win of Hill, odds over at BetWay have Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Dern currently closing as a -187 betting favorite to rebound to the winner’s enclosure at the UFC Apex facility.
15-12 throughout a storied mixed martial arts career, which includes a 2016 Invicta FC strawweight title victory, Hill had suffered a run of three consecutive defeats against Tecia Torres, Amanda Lemos, and Virna Jandiroba before he pair of successes against both Godinez and Ducote.
Competing on The Ultimate Fighter 20 back in 2014, Hill suffered an eventual submission blemish against ultimate tournament victor, Carla Esparza – with the latter going on to mint herself as the inaugural strawweight champion, before clinching the title last year for a second time.
12-3 as a professional, Dern, 30, is one of the most heralded and highly-touted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu players who has transitioned to mixed martial arts today – earning the #8 rank in the official UFC strawweight pile to boot.
An alum of Invicta FC to boot, the former Shannon Knapp-led prospect has recorded impressive Octagon wins over Ashley Yoder, Amanda Cooper, Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos, Nina Nunes, and both common-foes, Jandiroba and Torres since moving to the promotion.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under her father, Wellington ‘Megaton’ Dias, Dern, who has secured a whopping seven submission wins from 12 total career triumphs, can be backed as low as 13/8 to successfully continue that trend and submit Hill to emerge with a win at UFC Vegas 73 this weekend.
Under the tutelage of renowned head coach, Jason Parillo, however, Dern, who has attempted to utilize more and more of her striking in recent fights, is currently sat at both 14/1, and 12/5 to either defeat Hill via KO, or TKO – or land a decision success, respectively, with BetWay.
Outright, it appears money suggests Dern is the overall favorite to forces the judge’s scorecards in her favor should they be required at UFC Vegas 73, however, veteran mainstay, Hill is also closing at 2/1 to continue her winning ways should the judge’s require involvement.
