Back to the MMA Newsfeed

MMA Career Retrospective: How BJJ World Champion Mackenzie Dern Became a Top Strawweight

In the freshman outing for the UFC in 2025, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist Mackenzie Dern (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) will clash with Amanda Ribas (13-5 MMA, 7-4 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 249 in Las Vegas. Originally meant to compete against each other at UFC on ESPN 63, the pair was then suddenly rescheduled to headline the promotion’s first event of the new year.

UFC Comes Calling for Mackenzie Dern

Winning her first two bouts in the company over Ashley Yoder and Amanda Brundage (formerly Cooper), the then-undefeated Mackenzie Dern looked to be a promising prospect.