UFC star Mackenzie Dern was left bloodied and bruised after her fight on Saturday night – but still managed to emerge victorious and win her first ever title.
Days after she was asked a ‘creepy’ question by a reporter at a press conference, Dern stepped foot inside the octagon and claimed the UFC’s strawweight title.
Dern fought through an intense five-round scrap against Virna Jandiroba to claim her maiden career title in Abu Dhabi – and had to battle through adversity to do so.
The contest was fairly even throughout, with both women landing brutal shots as they vied to have their hand raised come the end of the 25 minutes.
In the end, Dern won via unanimous decision. Although, the cuts and bruises on her face would hardly suggest that she was a winner on the night.
Dern emerged with a brutal swelling on her cheek – which quickly turned to a deep shade of purple – as she collected her UFC strawweight title and celebrated the win.
UFC star Mackenzie Dern was left with brutal cuts and swelling on her face on Saturday night
However, she still emerged victorious and claimed her maiden UFC title in Abu Dhabi
Dern has quickly become a fan favorite within the UFC with her strong social media presence
Speaking after the victory, Dern, 32, said: ‘It feels amazing. I can’t believe this. It wasn’t the fight I expected, I thought it was going to be a little bit easier.
‘I think I did a lot of damage on the ground. I think it was enough.’
Though Jandiroba was finding success with her takedowns, Dern’s striking proved to be too much for her Brazilian counterpart.
The win comes days after a UFC reporter garnered some scorn after asking a question to fighter Dern that fans branded ‘creepy’.
One question complimented on the 32-year-old’s good looks before inquiring about her workout routine.
‘UFC fans like you not just for your aggressive nature and your fighting style in the Octagon, but also your good looks,’ the question began.
‘So the question is how many times a week do you squat and what’s your squatting weight?’
She seemed caught off guard by the question, turning to the side and giving a thumbs up to someone in the crowd.
After beating Jandiroba on Saturday night – for the second time in her career – Dern extended her professional MMA record to 16-5.
MMA fans slammed a reporter for asking a ‘creepy’ question to Dern in the lead up to the fight
Elsewhere on the night, Tom Aspinall suffered a gruesome double eye-poke in the main event
Elsewhere on the night, the main event ended in a controversial no contest decision after British heavyweight Tom Aspinall suffered a gruesome double eye poke.
In his fight against Frenchman Ciryl Gane, Aspinall attempted a kick, while his rival went with a punch and inadvertedly raked his fingers across his eyes. A five-minute timeout ensued, and the doctor stepped in.
Aspinall was spotted telling the doctor: ‘I can’t see,’ with the doctor himself telling the referee that he had ‘no immediate concerns about the globe’.
After four minutes of the five allocated, however, the fight was waved off as a no-contest.
