The Ultimate Fighting Championship remained at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada today for UFC Fight Night 211: “Dern vs Yan.” The closed-door card was headlined by a women’s strawweight contender’s bout as standout grappler Mackenzie Dern faced hard-hitting striker Xiaonan “Fury” Yan.
In today’s welterweight co-main event, Randy “Rude Boy” Brown took on Francisco “Massaranduba” Trinaldo. Elsewhere on the main card, Raoni Barcelos clashed with Trevin “5 Star” Jones in a featured bantamweight showdown. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC Fight Night 211.
Xiaonan “Fury” Yan vs Mackenzie Dern
Round 1:
Yan threw a side kick to Dern’s leg and followed with an overhand right. She landed two more side kicks and a counter combination when Dern tried to close the distance. Yan stayed outside of Dern’s striking range and landed side kicks. Dern finally clinched and she tried unsuccessfully to take Yan down. Yan broke free with a knee to the body and she resumed kicking at Dern’s lead leg. Yan fought off another Dern takedown attempt and she landed a right hook. Dern clinched and threw Yan down, but Yan reversed it on the way down and she briefly punched from the top. As Yan stood against the cage, Dern landed left hands and a solid knee. 10-9 Yan.
Round 2:
Yan caught a kick and dumped Dern to the mat, but Dern latched on to her leg and pulled her to the ground. Yan landed left hands from the top as Dern tried to set up a kneebar or a heel hook on her left leg. She used an omoplata from the bottom to take top position and continued to crank on Yan’s shoulder. Dern switched to an arm-triangle choke and Yan defended well. Dern let go of the choke and mounted Yan. She punched the side of Yan’s head and Yan gave up her back. Dern continued to punch and she chained together submission attempts from an armbar to a triangle choke and back to a rear-naked choke. 10-9 Dern. Possibly even a 10-8.
Round 3:
Both women landed punching flurries early in round three and Dern pulled guard. Yan stood up and Dern followed. A right hook and a body kick scored for Dern, but Yan easily thwarted a takedown attempt. She landed a front kick to Dern’s body A left hook wobbled Dern and she backed up. Yan did not follow up and Dern recovered quickly. She caught a kick from Yan, but Yan pulled her leg free. Dern slowed down and Yan landed a one-two combination. She kicked at Dern’s leg and Dern took her down just before the bell. 10-9 Yan.
Round 4:
Dern tried to clinch in the fourth round and Yan tagged her with a combination. She followed with a front kick to the body and Dern grabbed on to Yan’s leg. Yan balanced on one foot and pulled her leg free. She landed a lead left hook and followed with a straight right. Yan fought off yet another takedown attempt from Dern. She ducked her head and landed a looping overhand right. Yan backed Dern up with a side kick to the body, but Dern was able to clinch with her against the cage. She pulled half-guard and Yan threw short left hands to her face. Yan punched Dern’s ribs and defended against an armbar attempt in the final seconds. 10-9 Yan.
Round 5:
Dern was able to take Yan down early in the final round and she quickly moved to mount. Yan rolled over and Dern punched the side of her head. She continued to throw punches and hammerfists as the round progressed. Yan did well to prevent Dern from securing a rear-naked choke. Dern got high on her back and nearly secured an armbar in the final seconds, but Yan pulled her arm out and finished the round with punches from the top. Likely a 10-8 for Dern due to controlling nearly the entire round.
Winner: Xiaonan Yan by Majority Decision (48-47, 48-47, 47-47) after three rounds. She improves to 16-3-0, 1 NC.
Randy “Rude Boy” Brown vs Francisco “Massaranduba” Trinaldo
Round 1:
The much taller Brown opened the fight with kicks to Trinaldo’s lead leg and body. Trinaldo landed a strong leg kick of his own and he followed with another one as Brown tried to establish his jab. He dropped Trinaldo with a right hook and allowed him to stand up. Trinaldo landed an overhand left and clinched. Brown blatantly grabbed the cage to prevent Trinaldo from taking him down. Trinaldo slammed him down anyway and transitioned from back control to an armbar. Brown escaped and stood over Trinaldo. When Trinaldo got to his knees, Brown trapped him in a ninja choke. 10-9 Brown.
Round 2:
Brown jabbed in round two and Trinaldo closed in with a leg kick and an overhand left. Brown scored with a front kick to Trinaldo’s face and he blocked a kick from Trinaldo. Both men landed leg kicks and Trinaldo connected with another overhand left. The fighters exchanged punching flurries and Brown landed to the body. Trinaldo took his back and kneed Brown in the thigh. Brown attempted a kimura and fell to the mat as the bell sounded. Close second round. 10-9 Trinaldo.
Round 3:
Brown landed more jabs in the final round and a jumping front kick to Trinaldo’s body. Trinaldo answered with an overhand left and he dropped Brown with a leg kick. Trinaldo settled into Brown’s guard and he landed short elbows from the top. He stayed busy enough from the top and threw more short punches and elbows until the end of the close fight. 10-9 Trinaldo.
Winner: Randy Brown by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-0.
Raoni Barcelos vs Trevin “5 Star” Jones
Round 1:
Barcelos struck first with an overhand right and he secured a body-lock clinch against the cage. Jones broke free and Barcelos landed a body kick. He snapped Jones’s head back with a right hook, but Jones recovered and landed a one-two. Barcelos took Jones down and looked to set up a rear-naked choke as Jones rolled to his side. He took top position in Jones’s half-guard and then passed to mount. Late in the round, Barcelos threatened with a rarely-seen Ezekiel Choke attempt from the top. 10-9 Barcelos.
Round 2:
In round two, Barcelos backed Jones up with a right hook and a flying switch knee. He briefly took Jones down and the fighters battled in a clinch against the cage after Jones stood up. They separated and Barcelos dropped Jones with a right hook to the temple. Jones held on to Barcelos to prevent him from landing more strikes on the ground. Barcelos stood up and then took Jones’s back when Jones tried to get to his feet. Jones rolled to his back and Barcelos rained down elbows and punches. More elbows scored for Barcelos before the bell. 10-9 Barcelos.
Round 3:
The fighters traded strikes on the feet in the final round until Barcelos hurt Jones with a right hook and a knee. Jones attempted a takedown and Barcelos countered with hammerfists to the side of his head. Back on the feet, time was called when Jones was kneed in the groin. Action resumed and Barcelos took Jones down straight into mount. Jones scrambled back to half-guard, but Barcelos punished him with elbows and punches until the end of the fight. 10-9 Barcelos.
Winner: Raoni Barcelos by Unanimous Decision (30-25, 30-27, 30-27) after three rounds. He improves to 17-3-0.
“Super” Sodiq Yusuff vs “Shameless” Don Shainis
Round 1:
Yusuff trapped Shainis in a Thai clinch right away and punished him with four hard knees to the body. Shainis tried to shoot in for a takedown and Yusuff jumped guard with a guillotine choke. Shainis briefly held on and then tapped out.
Winner: Sodiq Yusuff by Submission (Guillotine Choke) at 0:30 of round one. He improves to 13-2-0.
Mike “Beast Boy” Davis vs Viacheslav “Slava” Borshchev
Round 1:
The fight began with an exchange of leg kicks and Borshchev countered a Davis left hook with an uppercut. He landed another uppercut and a hard calf kick, but Davis took him down. He held back control as Borshchev stood up and then dropped him face-first with a knee. Borshchev survived follow-up punches from Davis and got back to his feet. Davis secured another takedown and he mounted Borshchev. He postured up with punches and elbows that cut Borshchev beside his eye, but Borshchev swept just before the bell. 10-8 Davis.
Round 2:
Borshchev opened the second round with three leg kicks and a combination of uppercuts. Davis countered with a knee, but Borshchev cracked him with an overhand right. Borshchev jabbed and landed a combination, but Davis took him down twice. He mounted Borshchev and locked on an arm-triangle choke. Borshchev held on and Davis let go of the choke. He dropped elbows and punches to Borshchev’s face. Borshchev gave up his back and briefly stood up, but Davis pulled him back down. 10-9 Davis.
Round 3:
Davis blocked a head kick and Borshchev landed an overhand left. He scored with another one that landed on Davis’s right eye. The punch appeared to break Davis’s orbital bone and swelling formed immediately. Davis managed to take Borshchev down and Borshchev tried to push off of the cage. Davis stood over him and Borshchev scrambled up to his feet. Davis took him down again and threatened with a rear-naked choke, but Borshchev quickly escaped. 10-9 Davis due to the late ground control.
Winner: Mike Davis by Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 10-2-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)