Mackenzie Dern targets Yan Xiaonan next because she’s the ‘most ready’

Mackenzie Dern targets Yan Xiaonan next because she’s the ‘most ready’

Mackenzie Dern is keen to continue climbing the strawweight rankings and thinks there’s a logical matchup waiting for her.

Dern (12-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who is coming off a split-decision win over Tecia Torres at UFC 273 earlier this month, already is thinking about her next fight and likes the idea of a pairing against Yan Xiaonan.

With everyone else in the top five booked, or Dern having already fought them recently, she sees Xiaonan (13-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC) as the right pairing.

“I think Yan Xiaonan (is next),” Dern said during a recent interview on the “Believe You Me” podcast with Michael Bisping and Anthony Smith. “She’s No. 5 right now (in the UFC rankings) and she just lost to Marina (Rodriguez) by split decision. We both lost to Marina. I think she would be a good fight.”

Dern, No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings, said activity and continuing to grow her skill set is the main priority in her career right now. She could sit around and wait for the perfect fight, but Dern wants to keep adding experience to her resume, and if that means fighting down against No. 8-ranked Xiaonan, then she’s happy to do it.

“I think she’s the one that would be the most ready to do a fight camp right now,” Dern said. “Most other girls would want to fight the loser of Carla (Esparza) and Rose (Namajunas) or the loser of Joanna (Jedrzejczyk) and Zhang Weili.”