Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Mackenzie Dern is ready to stand out as a fighter in the UFC’s strawweight division after her win over Hannah Cifers.
The kneebar win against Hannah Cifers sure put Mackenzie Dern on a good mood regarding her future plans in the Octagon. After scoring the first ever leg lock submission win in all of the UFC’s women’s divisions, the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion seems ready to take on any opponents at strawweight.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Mackenzie emphasized how she is not taking her career lightly, despite some mishaps with the scale in the past and a bad loss against Amanda Ribas back in October.
Additionally, Dern says she wants to fight three more times this year, even if that means juggling between taking care of her home, being a mom to her baby daughter and training at the same time.
“I’m here to make history,” Dern said. “I’m not here to get punched in the face and be just another one. I’m up for being the first ever mom champion, the first one to score a leg lock, an omoplata with a choke. I’ll do anything to represent jiu-jitsu.”
“I want to fight three more times this year,” Dern continued. “My husband (professional surfer Wesley Santos) won’t be fighting in any tournaments this year, so I’ll enjoy all the support I can get at home. It’s hard being a mom, taking care of the house, the family and of yourself as an athlete. I’ll train as much as I can so I may begin another win streak.”
So far in her UFC career, Mackenzie Dern (8-1) has scored wins over Ashley Yoder, Amanda Cooper, and Cifers. Her sole loss happened in the aformentioned bout against Amanda Ribas, which she lost via unanimous decision only four months after giving birth to her daughter, Moa.