UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dana White (President) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan—also referred to as UFC Fight Night 211, UFC on ESPN+ 69, and UFC Vegas 61'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 1, 2022. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, United States.
Background
In contrast to the usual UFC Apex events that offer a limited number of VIP tickets, this particular fight night was closed off entirely to the public and media, with attendance restricted solely to Media Day and weigh-in sessions. Speculation arose that Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg had privately reserved the venue, a claim that UFC president Dana White publicly refuted. Despite this, Zuckerberg and his spouse were reportedly the sole spectators present during the live broadcast.
The headline bout featured a women's strawweight contest between Mackenzie Dern and Yan Xiaonan.
A bantamweight clash initially scheduled between former champion Cody Garbrandt and Rani Yahya was ultimately canceled after Yahya withdrew twice due to injury and other complications, followed by Garbrandt sustaining an injury himself.
In the lightweight division, Vinc Pichel pulled out of his fight against Jesse Ronson because of injury, leading to Joaquim Silva stepping in as his replacement.
Within the women's strawweight category, Cheyanne Vlismas withdrew citing personal reasons and was succeeded by former title contender Jessica Penne. However, Penne subsequently withdrew due to illness, resulting in the bout's cancellation.
A heavyweight matchup featuring Ilir Latifi and Aleksei Oleinik was rescheduled after being postponed twice previously because of Latifi's withdrawals.
Promotional newcomer Chelsea Chandler was slated to face Leah Letson, who later withdrew for personal reasons. Her spot was filled by Julija Stoliarenko, with the fight contested at a catchweight of 140 pounds.
In a lightweight encounter, Mike Davis was set to compete against Uroš Medić, but Medić was replaced by Viacheslav Borshchev for undisclosed reasons.
A heavyweight bout between Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus was shifted from this event to UFC 282, with no explanation provided.
Lastly, a light heavyweight contest between Maxim Grishin and Philipe Lins was called off during the event due to an unspecified medical issue, despite both fighters having successfully made weight.
Bonus Awards
The following competitors were each granted $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Daniel Santos vs. John Castañeda
- Performance of the Night: Joaquim Silva, Brendan Allen, Chelsea Chandler, and Guido Cannetti