Ben Henderson may have been on to something.
The former UFC lightweight champion and current Bellator top contender made headlines in August when he told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour that his training partner, Mackenzie Dern, would eventually become “bigger than Ronda Rousey.” Friday night, she took a big step forward in realizing that potential.
Dern stepped into the cage for her second professional fight at Legacy Fighting Championship 61 and posted one of the year’s more impressive wins. Check it out here, courtesy of UFC social media personality Zombie Prophet:
Facing Montana Stewart, Dern threw her legs up from guard position for an omoplata. When Stewart attempted to defend by stacking, Dern used the submission to sweep to gain top position. Then, while still controlling the arm, managed to take back control and sink in a rear-naked choke.
In judo, this would be called a sankaku garami transitioned into a okuri eri jime. In pro wrestling it’s something of modified crossface. In MMA, however, there doesn’t seem to be any name for it other than the “Dern Choke.”
While Dern (2-0) likely isn’t going to invent a new submission in every fight, there’s still cause to keep a close eye on her going forward. The proud owner of two World Jiu-Jitsu Championship gold medals and another gold from the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship, she is a highly accomplished grappler that owns an advantage over all comers on the ground.
Whether she settles into fighting at 115 pounds or decides to establish herself in the 125-pound division, the 23-year-old certainly has the tools to become a serious contender.
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