Photo by Buda Mendes/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC
Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Mackenzie Dern is gearing up for her Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) return, as ESPN reports that she has verbally agreed to face Amanda Ribas on October 12, 2019 at a soon-to-be announced location.
Dern (7-0, 2-0 UFC) recently took a break from fighting after she announced her pregnancy earlier in the year. After giving birth to a healthy baby girl on June 9, Dern is ready to get back into the swing of things…as promised.
Mackenzie was last seen defeating Amanda Cooper at UFC 224 in May of 2018 via first-round submission. Despite the victory, the submission specialist had to fork over some of her fight purse after she came in heavy by seven pounds.
Prior to that, Dern made her successful UFC debut by narrowly edging out Ashley Yoder to earn a split-decision at UFC 222.
Ribas, meanwhile, made her own successful Octagon debut last month after she defeated Emily Whitmire at UFC on ESPN 3 via rear-naked choke. The 7-1 combatant has six stoppage victories on her resume so far in her five- year career as a pro.
A win over Dern will undoubtedly be the biggest of her career and give her a huge bump in the 115-pound pecking order. For Mackenzie, the fight is a chance to prove that she didn’t lost a step despite her pregnancy, and is ready to pick up right where she left off.
Just like this other first-time mother recently did.
The Fight Night event is set to be headlined by a women’s Strawweight bout between former division queen, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, taking on Michelle Waterson.