Top-tier strawweights Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan will headline a Oct. 1 UFC Fight Night event at a location to be determined.
Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the fight to MMA Fighting following a report from ESPN.com. The fight card’s official order has not been confirmed.
Dern, the No. 6 ranked strawweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings, hopes to get back in the title picture after a loss to Marina Rodriguez stalled her ascent. In her most recent appearance, she got back in the win column with a decision over veteran Tecia Torres for her seventh overall UFC win.
After suffering back-to-back defeats in the last two bouts,
Xiaonan needs to revive her career. The Chinese fighter surged into contention with five straight wins before losses to Carla Esparza and, most recently, Rodriguez at UFC 272.
Strawweight champion Esparza anticipates defending her title before the end of 2011, she told MMA Fighting. However, she hasn’t confirmed an opponent. Rodriguez strongly pushed to be the next.
