VIDEO | Mackenzie Dern’s mixed martial arts debut (highlights)
Strawweight prospect Mackenzie Dern was unable to finish Kenia Rosas in her mixed martial arts debut at Legacy 58, but the current number one pound-for-pound grappler did put on a dominating performance.
Dern spoke to MMAFighting‘s Ariel Helwani about the fight and outlined her future goals in the sport:
“I’m always confident in my jiu-jitsu, especially since it was Kenia Rosas’ pro debut, and it was my first fight, so I was definitely confident in my jiu-jitsu,” Dern told Ariel Helwani on a recent edition of The MMA Hour. “I hoping to get a submission, but, man, she was so flexible and very tough.
“I wasn’t upset about it. I felt I was really good in the whole fight. It was good to see the cardio different between jiu-jitsu and MMA, to go all three rounds, and being attacking all three rounds and not feel tired, and see everything’s going good. And jiu-jitsu you don’t really hurt people. It was kind of good for me to see ‘okay, I can throw elbows, I can throw this.’ It was good for me to feel that. I like it.”
Mackenzie is hopeful that she will be able to sign with the UFC and earn the women’s strawweight title before the end of 2017.
“I learn fast. I think that as long as I keep evolving, that’s the plan,” Dern said. “I’m not gonna give up on what I have planned. I think I’m doing good, just to get used to it and keep being confident and trust. There’s so much stuff that my coaches taught me. But I think for my first fight was able to have that come out. I’m excited to start testing more my stand-up but, of course, I’m never gonna take away my jiu-jitsu. I’ll always go to jiu-jitsu, but I’m still confident with that goal. I think that maybe by the end of 2017 I can try for a title. We’ll see. Who knows? You never know. But that’s the goal.”
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Mackenzie Dern
