You and
@Poirierfan can rewatch but I just did.
3:54 Dern gets dropped
From 3:54 to 3:50 Lemos - while standing - lands two big shots but Ref allows Dern to continue turtling (one was a body shot so perhaps that's why).
Lemos follows her down at 3:49
Lands 6-8 punches - though not the cleanest - as Dern starts to roll away.
3:45 ref says fight back MacKenzie
3:44 Dern takes a backhand swipe at Lemos who by this time has Dern in halfguard pressed up against the cage
- She didn't immediately follow her down
- She tried to land a few big shots w/out going to the ground
Upon rewatch, I can see why you think Lemos just had to step back. And I can see why Lemos thinks she had to just land 1 clean shot (and she did land 10 unanswered punches but the cleaner shots were all body).
After all that, I can be convinced Lemos made a mistake. But I can't be convinced her mistake (b/c it wasn't immediate and not her initial response) is what prolonged the fight. Dern's toughness did that. Happy to disagree if that's where we fall.