Will Mackenzie Dern move one step closer to a possible title shot? Can Francisco Trinaldo continue his improbable run at 44 years old? The predictions from the MMA Empire team, along with our guest picker, can be found below for the six-fight main card.
Our guest picker for this event is Canadian women’s flyweight prospect Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels (5-0). Yet to taste defeat in both her professional and amateur careers, Horth Wessels is coming off her biggest victory to date at LFA 120 where she became the new LFA women’s flyweight champion. Whether it’s a UFC debut or defending her title, stay tuned for her next bout announcement soon.
Two title-eliminator flavour matchups headlined this card — Mackenzie Dern's continued climb toward the strawweight belt against Yan Xiaonan, and 44-year-old Francisco Trinaldo's improbable welterweight run against Randy Brown. Quiet Fight Night cards in October often produce contenders; this one had several divisional storylines worth tracking.
2022 standings thru UFC Fight Night 210
1. Jason Hagholm (110-60) N/A in 2021
2. Kylan Knowler (108-62) 128-93-3 in 2021
T3. Joe McDonagh (106-64) 122-99-3 in 2021
T3. Cole Shelton (106-64) 138-83-3 in 2021 *Champion
5. Joel Griffith (105-65) 135-86-3 in 2021
6. Cooper Riehl (104-66) 136-85-3 in 2021
7. Cody Rempel (102-68) 134-87-3 in 2021
8. Dylan Bowker (98-72) 113-108-3 in 2021
9. Guest picker (90-80) 115-106-3 in 2021
Dern's main event with Yan was a classic striker-versus-grappler question with the division's pecking order on the line. Dern's submission game had carried her into the top five and remained arguably the most dangerous pure grappling attack in all of women's MMA, while Yan's speed and volume striking had beaten everybody except the very top of the division. For both women the winner had a real claim to a title eliminator next.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Yan Xiaonan
Jason Hagholm: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Kylan Knowler: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Joe McDonagh: Mackenzie Dern via decision.
Cole Shelton: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Joel Griffith: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Cooper Riehl: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Cody Rempel: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Dylan Bowker: Mackenzie Dern via submission.
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels: Mackenzie Dern via decision.
Picks – Mackenzie Dern: 9, Yan Xiaonan: 0
Randy Brown vs. Francisco Trinaldo
Jason Hagholm: Randy Brown via knockout.
Kylan Knowler: Randy Brown via TKO.
Joe McDonagh: Randy Brown via decision.
Cole Shelton: Randy Brown via decision.
Joel Griffith: Randy Brown via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Randy Brown via TKO.
Cody Rempel: Randy Brown via decision.
Dylan Bowker: Randy Brown via decision.
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels: Randy Brown via TKO.
Picks – Randy Brown: 9, Francisco Trinaldo: 0
Raoni Barcelos vs. Trevin Jones
Jason Hagholm: Trevin Jones via decision.
Kylan Knowler: Raoni Barcelos via TKO.
Joe McDonagh: Trevin Jones via knockout.
Cole Shelton: Raoni Barcelos via decision.
Joel Griffith: Raoni Barcelos via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Raoni Barcelos via decision.
Cody Rempel: Raoni Barcelos via TKO.
Dylan Bowker: Raoni Barcelos via decision.
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels: Raoni Barcelos via decision.
Picks – Raoni Barcelos: 7, Trevin Jones: 2
Sodiq Yusuff vs Don Shainis
Jason Hagholm: Sodiq Yusuff via TKO.
Kylan Knowler: Sodiq Yusuff via decision.
Joe McDonagh: Sodiq Yusuff via knockout.
Cole Shelton: Sodiq Yusuff via TKO.
Joel Griffith: Sodiq Yusuff via decision.
Cooper Riehl: Sodiq Yusuff via knockout.
Cody Rempel: Sodiq Yusuff via TKO.
Dylan Bowker: Sodiq Yusuff via decision.
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels: Sodiq Yusuff via TKO.
Picks – Sodiq Yusuff: 9, Don Shainis: 0
The Trinaldo story was its own draw: at 44, the Brazilian veteran had become the UFC's most improbable late-career renaissance, rattling off wins against men half his age through sheer craft and conditioning. Brown, a rangy, technical welterweight still building toward the rankings, was exactly the kind of athletic test designed to end a feel-good run — or extend it into legend.
Mike Davis vs. Viacheslav Borshchev
Jason Hagholm: Viacheslav Borshchev via TKO.
Kylan Knowler: Mike Davis via decision.
Joe McDonagh: Mike Davis via decision.
Cole Shelton: Mike Davis via TKO.
Joel Griffith: Mike Davis via TKO.
Cooper Riehl: Viacheslav Borshchev via TKO.
Cody Rempel: Mike Davis via decision.
Dylan Bowker: Viacheslav Borshchev via decision.
Jamey-Lyn Horth Wessels: Mike Davis via decision.
