Dern Reveals The Submissions She’s Targeting Against Torres At UFC 273

UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern is calling her shot ahead of her matchup with Tecia Torres on the UFC 273 main card.

Dern is looking to make a statement in her Octagon return after losing to Marina Rodriguez last October. Before that, she appeared on the verge of a strawweight title shot with four-straight wins over the likes of Virna Jandiroba and Nina Nunes.

Dern is one of the best grapplers in the strawweight division, as evidenced by recent submissions over Nunes, Randa Markos, and Hannah Cifers. She isn’t lacking confidence ahead of her fight with Torres and is willing to predict how she’ll get the submission finish.

During a recent interview with The AllStar, Dern teased how she sees the fight playing out with Torres.

“Man, I envision an armbar and choke,” Dern said. “I envisioned an armbar, honestly, just in the beginning, like, by myself. But the more I’ve started to watch her fights… sometimes she tries to turn around and I was like, ‘Hmm, I see that back, I see that neck there.’ I think maybe a choke is gonna come, just like a backpack [LAUGHS].

“I feel like she gives her back a lot. Sometimes with the kicks, she kinda tries to kick out. So, I was thinking the armbar, but then I was thinking about opportunities for the choke. We’ll see.”

A win over Torres could put Dern right back into the title conversation. Strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will face Carla Esparza later this year, but the winner between Dern and Torres could surge into a potential No. 1 contender fight later in 2022.

Dern is looking to put on a show against Torres at UFC 273, and she seems intent on a short night in the Octagon and moving one step closer to a potential title shot.

What is your prediction for Mackenzie Dern vs. Tecia Torres?

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