Perhaps the most-talked-about women’s MMA prospect since Ronda Rousey, two-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion Mackenzie Dern has only enhanced the hype through six professional appearances. She will celebrate her 25th birthday on March 24.
Dern made her Ultimate Fighting Championship debut in the featured UFC 222 prelim, overcame some adversity and walked away with a split decision over Ashley Yoder at T-Mobile Arena on March 3 in Las Vegas. The win bumped her record to 6-0. A gold medalist at the 2015 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships, Dern hangs her hat at the powerhouse MMA Lab camp in Glendale, Arizona, where she trains alongside former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson and undefeated bantamweight prospect Sean O’Malley, among others.