Mackenzie Dern News

Chris Taylor - August 9, 2020

UFC strawweight standout Mackenzie Dern is used to turning heads whether it be inside the Octagon or out by the pool. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt did just that in her most recent UFC appearance in May, scoring a sensational first-round kneebar submission victory over Hannah Cifers (see that here).

Tom Taylor - July 9, 2020

Mackenzie Dern is set to take on Randa Markos in a compelling strawweight fight targeted for September 12 in Las Vegas, according to a report from MMA Fighting. Dern last fought in late May, when she picked up a first-round submission victory over Hannah Cifers with a knee-bar. The win separated her from the first loss of her professional career, a decision defeat at the hands of Amanda Ribas. With her win over Cifers, Dern improved to a solid 8-1 overall in mixed martial arts.

Harry Kettle - June 1, 2020

Following her big win at UFC on ESPN 9 this weekend, Mackenzie Dern has set her sights on becoming a “mom champ” in the promotion. Dern put in an incredibly impressive showing on Saturday night as she secured a kneebar submission win over Hannah Cifers. The first round triumph earned Dern a Performance of the Night bonus, and it also got her back in the win column after her loss to Amanda Ribas back in October 2019.

Tom Taylor - May 29, 2020

This Saturday, at UFC on ESPN 9, Mackenzie Dern will take on Hannah Cifers in an effort to rebound from her first pro MMA loss: a late 2019 decision defeat at the hands of Amanda Ribas. Ahead of this fight with Cifers, Dern looked back on her loss to Ribas, acknowledging that she made an error in her preparation for the fight.

Tom Taylor - January 29, 2020

Mackenzie Dern will look to rebound from the first loss of her MMA career at UFC Lincoln on April 25, when she takes on Ariane Carnelossi. This bout was first reported by Combate and confirmed thereafter by MMA Fighting.  When Dern last fought, at UFC Tampa in October, she experienced her first taste of defeat, giving up a decision to Amanda Ribas. Prior to that setback, she rattled off seven straight victories to begin her pro MMA career. Her main claim to fame, of course, his her massive success on the professional grappling circuit.

Tom Taylor - October 21, 2019

Mackenzie Dern is no longer undefeated as a mixed martial artist. She lost the zero on her record at UFC Tampa, when she gave up a decision to Amanda Ribas. Speaking to MMA Fighting recently, Dern updated on how this loss has been affecting her. She seems to be taking it very well.

Tom Taylor - October 13, 2019

Mackenzie Dern made her return to the Octagon at UFC Tampa over the weekend, just months after giving birth to her first child. Regrettably for Dern and her team, this comeback didn’t go as planned, as she lost a unanimous decision to her opponent Amanda Ribas. This loss to Ribas marked Dern’s first loss as a professional mixed martial artist.

Natasha Hooper - September 12, 2019

Mackenzie Dern recently showcased her impressive physique on Instagram — just 3 months after giving birth. The strawweight fighter gave birth do her daughter on June 9th. However, that hasn’t stopped Dern from getting back to business. She is back in training and is making regular visits to the beach — and she’s documenting it all on her Instagram account.

Tom Taylor - February 22, 2019

Fan favorite UFC flyweight contender Mackenzie Dern won’t be fighting for awhile. Early on Friday morning, Dern shared the exciting news that she is pregnant. See her announcement below:

Tom Taylor - January 10, 2019

Mackenzie Dern will continue to compete as a strawweight. Despite her recent struggles to reach the strawweight division’s 116-pound cap, she and her team have decided to stick to this division for now, rather than move up to the flyweight division, which has a limit of 126 pounds for non title fights.

James Lynch - November 15, 2018

After a title shot was taken away from her, and her picking up a win at UFC 230, Sijara Eubanks has her sights set on another opponent. The Ultimate Fighter Season 26 finalist called out jiu-jitsu sensation Mackenzie Dern for a matchup. Found this old gem…Hey @MackenzieDern how bout we run it back with the 4oz gloves! Let’s see who the realest bjj black belt in mma is! @AliAbdelaziz00 @danawhite @Mickmaynard2 pic.twitter.com/jVVyBMp8PB

Drake Riggs - June 18, 2018

A lot of the late buzz that surrounded UFC 224 last month came from the event’s weigh-ins. Which of course, is never a good thing. The guilty party, in this case, was the top prospect, Mackenzie Dern. The BJJ wizard, Dern would miss weight for her scheduled 115-pound strawweight bout by coming in at 123 pounds.

Tom Taylor - May 17, 2018

In the wake of the UFC 224, which went down last Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the UFC has updated its official rankings. Given the way the UFC rankings seem to morph entirely arbitrarily from one week to the next, they are usually pretty controversial. The latest update to the rankings, however, was particularly controversial, as Mackenzie Dern usurped the number-15 spot in the strawweight rankings after her UFC 224 submission win over Amanda Bobby Cooper.

Tom Taylor - May 17, 2018

UFC 224, which went down in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, last Saturday, caused a number of interesting changes to the official UFC rankings. The most interesting of these changes occurred in the strawweight division, where Mackenzie Dern entered the rankings at number 15, despite the fact that her UFC 224 submission win over Amanda Bobby Cooper was preceded by a seven-pound weigh-in miss. UFC 224 also caused a small shakeup at middleweight, where Kelvin Gastelum rose a spot after his split decision win over Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who dropped three spots. And then, of course, there are the customary, seemingly arbitrary changes to the UFC rankings, which do not seem to be governed by anything other than whim and randomness.

Tom Taylor - May 16, 2018

Last weekend, on the main card of UFC 224, BJJ star Mackenzie Dern stepped into the Octagon for the second time, taking on Amanda Bobby Cooper. Dern won this fight in emphatic fashion, dropping her foe with a huge punch in the first round, then sinking in a deep rear-naked choke for the win. Unfortunately, Dern’s win over Cooper comes with an asterisk attached, as she tipped the scales at 123 pounds, a significant seven pounds above the strawweight division’s 116-pound limit.

Tom Taylor - May 15, 2018

Last weekend, on the main card of UFC 224, grappling ace Mackenzie Dern stepped into the Octagon for the second time, taking on Amanda Bobby Cooper. Dern won this fight in emphatic fashion, dropping her foe in the first round, then submitting her with a rear-naked choke. Unfortunately, Dern’s win over Cooper comes with an asterisk attached, as she tipped the scales at 123 pounds, a significant seven pounds above the strawweight division’s 116-pound limit.

Tom Taylor - May 14, 2018

On Saturday night, on the main card of UFC 224, Mackenzie Dern picked up her second UFC win, submitting Amanda Bobby Cooper in the first round. At a glance, Dern’s win was incredibly impressive. As any one who followed the buildup to UFC 224 knows, however, the win was not without controversy.

Chris Taylor - May 13, 2018

Jiu-jitsu ace Mackenzie Dern (7-0 MMA) kept her perfect mixed martials arts record intact at last night’s UFC 224 event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by scoring a first-round subsmission victory over Amanda Cooper. The victory showcased Mackenzie Dern’s ever evolving stand-up and of course her ridiculous submission skills, but the dominant win was likely overshadowed by the fact that Dern came in seven pounds over the 116-pound strawweight limit for the fight.