If Mackenzie Dern had any jitters ahead of her Invicta FC debut, it didn’t show in her handling of seasoned opponent Kaline Medeiros.

While it was her well known jiu-jitsu that ultimately sealed the deal in the Invicta FC 26 co-headliner, Dern (5-0) showed she wasn’t afraid to keep the fight standing. It wasn’t flawless, as Dern herself admitted, but the strides made by the undefeated prospect in her striking were once again on display as she pushed around Medeiros (8-6) at Scottish Rite Temple in Kansas City, Mo.

After rocking Medeiros a couple of times, Dern found the fight-ending armbar in the third round of the strawweight bout, which streamed on UFC Fight Pass. It was the third submission win of the jiu-jitsu expert’s rapidly rising pro career. In October, Dern choked out Mandy Polk at LFA 24 after rocking her with strikes.

Dern and Medeiros didn’t waste much time studying each other, engaging in some striking early in Round 1. Dern threw low kicks and haymakers with gusto, while Medeiros, more tentative, mostly avoided the strikes and picked her shots. Medeiros slammed Dern’s back to the ground but didn’t seem particularly interested in following Dern.

After the first half of the frame, Dern landed a strong punch that had Medeiros clearly disoriented. A high kick by Dern also made its way to a slightly disgruntled Medeiros later in the round.

Dern remained aggressive early in Round 2, but that also exposed her to some counters. Overall, the second frame involved more clinch work. After controlling Dern against the cage, Medeiros faced a dilemma: She got the takedown, but that led to her being on the ground with Dern. The grappling expert landed in an unfavorable position but was quick to make the necessary adjustments. Dern’s chase for Medeiros’ leg didn’t pan out, but things didn’t get much better for Medeiros after that as Dern was soon in full mount, raining down the punishment. By the final seconds, Medeiros was turtled up, barely defending herself.

Dern landed yet another solid punch to start Round 3, but Medeiros was able to annul her offense as she pressed Dern against the cage. Dern didn’t surrender looking for takedowns but couldn’t succeed. As the two broke up, Medeiros got a solid punch in, but nothing that deterred Dern. Once again, the fighters were pressed against the cage, though this time Medeiros was unable to resist the takedown. Dern almost was immediately in full mount, while Medeiros desperately held on to her head. Dern moved quickly, grabbing ahold of Medeiros’ arm to lock in the finish.

After tapping at the 4:45 mark of Round 3, Medeiros is on a two-fight skid that includes a decision loss to ex-champ Angela Hill.

Official Invicta FC 26 results include:

• Champ Jennifer Maia vs. Agnieszka Niedzwiedz – for flyweight title
• Mackenzie Dern def. Kaline Medeiros via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 4:45
• Janaisa Morandin def. Kinberly Novaes via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 and 30-27)
• Vanessa Porto def. Milana Dudieva via TKO (strikes) – Round 3, 3:02
• Virna Jandiroba def. Amy Montenegro via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 2:50
• Amber Brown def. Tessa Simpson via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 0:50
• Karina Rodriguez def. Christine Ferea via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
• Kay Hansen def.  Emilee Prince via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 1:23

For more on Invicta FC 26, check out the MMA Events section of the site.

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