Report: Unbeaten prospect Mackenzie Dern meets Ashley Yoder at UFC 222

One of the top prospects in the sport officially will join the UFC roster in 2018.

UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby confirmed this past week on a MetroPCS chat with UFC Hall of Famer Forrest Griffin that unbeaten strawweight Mackenzie Dern (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) make her octagon debut in the early portion of the year.

“Mackenzie Dern will be making her debut in the UFC,” Shelby told Griffin. “I think (in) early 2018.”

Today, MMAFighting.com reported Dern’s opponent will be Ashley Yoder (5-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at UFC 222, which takes place March 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass. UFC officials have not yet made a formal announcement of the booking.

Dern, a multi-time jiu-jitsu world champion, has made her transition to MMA over the past few years. The 24-year-old is coming off a third-round submission of Kaline Medeiros at Invicta FC 26 in December.

Ashley Yoder

Yoder started her career 5-1, including a win for Invicta FC, and got a shot in the UFC through Season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” She made her official promotional debut at UFC Fight Night 102 in December 2016, but dropped a decision to Justine Kish. And this past July, in her follow-up, she dropped a decision to former Invicta FC champion Angela Hill.

With the addition, the UFC 222 card includes:

• C.B. Dollaway vs. Hector Lombard
• Sean O’Malley vs. Andre Soukhamthath
• Andrei Arlovski vs. Stefan Struve
• Mackenzie Dern vs. Ashley Yoder

For more on UFC 222, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.