It’s been a frantic year of mixed martial arts so far with big fight after big fight. This weekend, no disrespect to Mackenzie Dern or Angela Hill, fans are offered something of a breather. No big name is emerging from retirement, no belts are on the line, and no hard-hitting heavyweights are colliding.
What we will witness instead is two tenacious female strawweight fighters headlining UFC Vegas 73 this weekend. Mackenzie Dern vs. Angela Hill will be the main event of this 12-fight evening, with both women inside the promotion’s top 10 and angling for a title fight.
We break down the best bets to make on this match-up with the latest odds from bookmaker William Hill.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 19th, 1:45 A.M. (GMT)
Bookmaker William Hill’s outright winner odds indicate that this should be a fascinating clash. The younger Mackenzie Dern is favoured to win but not by much. The 30-year-old is paying 1.53, only marginally ahead of Hill’s 2.50 to win.
In terms of how the bookies see this clash ending, one thing is for sure – it’s unlikely to be a knockout. Dern is paying 19.00 for a KO and Hill is at 10.00. Submission or decision is how this will likely unfold with Dern paying 2.62 for the former and 3.10 for the later. For Hill, her best path is on points, paying 3.00 if she wins on the scorecards.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: May 19th, 1:45 A.M. (GMT)
Both women aren’t afraid of taking punches, but it’s Dern who naturally excels on the ground. Dern’s 12-3-0 record is comprised of seven submissions and five decisions, while Hill’s 15-12-0 record is made up of five knockout wins and 10 decision wins.
Given the fact that Hill has gone the distance 20 times in her career and only won 10 of those, the veteran will likely be looking for the knockout here. This is a big ask considering Dern has never been knocked out and will be looking to get this fight on the mat.
Chances are this clash will be decided in the clinch. If Dern can convert clinches into takedowns, she’ll likely win this by submission eventually. If Hill can inflict damage and exploit known weaknesses in Dern’s defence while in close then she may well be able to accumulate enough points or even land a knockout blow.
We say backing Dern to win by submission is the best bet with a solid return of 2.62.
