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Before Cris Cyborg vs Yana Kunitskaya, Frankie Edgar vs Brian Ortega, and the entire UFC 222 main card, there are a seven preliminary fights on tap for Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas: Ashley Yoder vs Mackenzie Dern, Beneil Dariush vs Alexander Hernandez, John Dodson vs Pedro Munhoz and C.B. Dollaway vs Hector Lombard on the Fox Sports 1 card, and Mike Pyle vs Zak Ottow, Bryan Caraway vs Cody Stamann and Jordan Johnson vs Adam Milstead on the Fight Pas card.
The first prelim card, which starts at 6:30 p.m. ET, can be watched online via UFC Fight Pass, which offers a free 7-day trial.
The second card, which starts at 8 p.m. ET, will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1. If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch FS1 online, on your phone or on another streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
FuboTV: Fox Sports 1 is included in the “Fubo Premier” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch on your computer via the FuboTV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the FuboTV app
Hulu With Live TV: If you want an extensive Netflix-like on-demand streaming library in addition to your live TV, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live channels, including Fox Sports 1. You can sign up right here, and you can then watch a live stream of ESPN on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: Fox Sports 1 is included in all four channel packages. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get a free Amazon Fire TV if you prepay two months. Once signed up, you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app
Sling TV: Fox Sports 1 is included in the “Sling Blue” channel package. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app
Preview
Headlining the preliminary cards is a strawweight matchup between Ashley Yoder and Mackenzie Dern. Yoder desperately needs a win after having lost her first two fights under the UFC banner, while the real intrigue surrounds Dern. A multiple world champion in ADCC Submission Wrestling and no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the 24-year-old American Brazilian entered the MMA world in 2016 and is off to a 5-0 start, most recently defeating Kaline Medeiros via thrid-round submission at Invicta FC 26.
Dern is already drawing comparisons to Ronda Rousey, but she’s looking to carve her own path.
“For sure it’s flattering that when they see me they remember her, that they can see me as her when she was fighting and everything,” she said. “But we are two different people, different personalities, different histories, different obstacles we were facing, when she came into the UFC and now that I’m in the UFC. So I think the biggest thing is it’s a new era, you know? A new generation. So I think it’s nice that people think that, but man, I’m not like the next Ronda Rousey. I’m the new Mackenzie.”
Either way, Dern’s debut in the Octagon is an anticipated one.
And with a handful of other compelling fights on tap in Las Vegas, it should be an entertaining build up to the main card at UFC 222.