Ever since she first stepped into the cage, back in 2016, Mackenzie Dern has been a prospect to watch. The 24-year-old fighter is the daughter of BJJ great Wellington Dias, and has carved out her own status in the pantheon of jiu jitsu champions, winning a 2015 World BJJ Championship at black belt, as well as as an Abu Dhabi World Pro championship and a World No-Gi Championship among other titles.
She’s currently 4-0 in MMA, with her latest win coming half way through round 1 with an impressive stoppage of Mandy Polk. Dern landed a wining overhand right, and followed it up with a series of hooks to drop her 3-2 opponent, before jumping on a tight rear naked choke. The bout marked her first in the flyweight division, since she’s struggled to make the strawweight limit.
Given the UFC’s recently opened 125 lb weight class, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before fans see Dern throwing leather in the Octagon.