Jessica Andrade vs Mackenzie Dern Prediction: Ex-Champ Isn't Living Up Hopes

On November 12th, the UFC tournament will happen in New York. One of the fights on the main card will be a Brazilian derby - Jessica Andrade will share the octagon with Mackenzie Dern. The bout will take place in the women's lightweight division. Andrade is ranked fifth in the UFC women's division, while Dern is seventh.

Jessica Andrade has been fighting in the UFC for ten years and has been at the top of the rankings for almost all that time. In 2019, she even became champion by spectacularly knocking out Rose Namajunas with a slam (though she lost the title in the next fight). But right now, Andrade is going through a rough patch - she has three straight losses, all three early (two by submission, one by knockout).

Mackenzie Dern is an elite jiu-jitsu fighter who wins mostly by submission (and has never won by knockout in her entire career). She is currently alternating victories and losses, and in her last fight, she won a judges' decision over Angela Hill.

Jessica Andrade has lost her last three fights to opponents who like to wrestle, and that's all you need to know for this prediction. Mackenzie Dern's ground game is stronger than Jessica's previous opponents, and Andrade is clearly in a hurry to get out of the fair. We don't expect much intrigue here, and the first takedown will trouble the former champion.