What has Mackenzie Dern said about Mark Zuckerberg 'renting out' UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan?

It was recently announced that UFC Fight Night: Mackenzie Dern vs. Xiaonan Yan would be fought behind closed doors and have no crowd. No official reason has been stated yet.

Mackenzie Dern, who is headlining the event, spoke about the potential reasoning during the pre-fight interviews.

Dern stated that Mark Zuckerberg had rented out the event and jokingly stated that she didn't know if it'll just be the Meta CEO in the crowd or his whole family. While speaking to the press, the Arizona-born fighter stated:

"I mean I know Mark Zuckerberg rented out the event you know. So I know he'll be there, I mean, but I don't know if it's just like literally him and his wife or if he's gonna have friends or if it's just like a small party, I don't know, you know."

Watch the full interview here:

The women's strawweight contender went on to say that she was excited for the event despite the lack of crowd. She stated that it is going to feel like a sparring session. However, Dern did mention that it would be easier for her to get distracted by smaller noises such as the commentary or staff.

Mackenzie Dern is currently on a one-fight winning streak after getting the better of Tecia Torres in her latest bout at UFC 273. Her opponent, Xiaonan Yan, is currently on a two-fight losing streak. Yan suffered back-to-back defeats against Marina Rodriguez and Carla Esparza - who are both credible opponents.

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Who was the first woman to beat Mackenzie Dern in professional MMA?

Mackenzie Dern had a flawless career before entering the UFC, beating her first seven opponents in Invicta, LFA and, Legacy FC. Dern got the better of Kenia Rosas, Montana De La Rosa, Katherine Roy, Mandy Polk and Kaline Medeiros prior to entering the UFC.

The 29-year-old managed to win her UFC debut, beating Ashley Yoder and went on to submit Amanda Cooper in her second organizational outing. However, the third time wasn't the charm for Dern, with the Arizona-born fighter losing against Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN+ 19: Joanna vs. Waterson.

Marina Rodriguez is the only other won to have beaten Mackenzie Dern in professional MMA. Dern lost via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night, but bounced back against Tecia Torres in her latest outing. The 29-year-old pinched a split decision victory against Torres five months ago.