Mackenzie Dern, one of the most accomplished female Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioners and MMA stars, recently shed light on the challenges women face in the grappling world. In a candid interview on Alex Wendling’s podcast, Dern highlighted the extra effort required for women to gain recognition and respect in a male-dominated sport.
“There’s always that kind of thing where they don’t really take you seriously because you’re a woman. They focus more on how you look than on what’s actually happening and how hard we’re working.” – Dern told Wendling.
“We can use that to our advantage, though, because people might watch us just because we’re women. But it also makes us push even harder to earn respect for our technique and all the hard work we put in.”
“I think the guys are starting to get it. They’re really beginning to understand how professional we are during camps and training. Before, we’d win a match with just one fight, and the guys would be like, ‘Well, at the world championships, we have six fights.’ It was hard for them to give us the same respect when we only had one match to win a world championship, while they had six or seven.”
“But these days, things have totally changed, thankfully. We have women standing up, fighting for higher pay, and making sure they get the business side right. If we don’t stand up for what we want, they might just offer us something like $200. So, it’s really important that we all come together, support each other, and make sure we’re treated fairly.”
Dern pointed out that the smaller pool of female competitors often leads to repetitive matchups, potentially making it less exciting for fans.
This situation puts added pressure on women to consistently innovate and showcase new techniques to keep audiences engaged. “We have to like constantly be proving… even when we’re fighting the same people over and over again,” Dern explained.
The BJJ champion also touched on the frustrating reality that women’s appearances often overshadow their technical abilities. She noted that spectators sometimes pay more attention to how female fighters look rather than appreciating the skill and effort displayed in their matches. This perception gap has pushed women to work even harder to earn respect for their technique and dedication.
Dern emphasized the importance of women supporting each other and standing up for fair treatment, especially regarding compensation. She mentioned that if female athletes don’t advocate for themselves, organizers might try to underpay them. This solidarity among women in the sport has been crucial in pushing for equal pay and recognition.
The growth of women’s Jiu-Jitsu has been significant, with more diverse matchups and unpredictable outcomes adding excitement to the sport. Dern believes that male competitors are starting to recognize and respect the professionalism and hard work of their female counterparts.
Dern even took it a step further recently – when she expressed a desire to pull out of UFC Abu Dhabi, where she was booked to face Loopy Godinez, to be sure she can make it to her superfight at Craig Jones Invitational against Ffion Davies.
“When they added me to the UFC Abu Dhabi, I was kind of trying to get out of it,” Dern admitted. “I was like, ‘No, no, I don’t want to risk getting injured in MMA a couple weeks before grappling.'”
However, Dern’s management team emphasized the importance of honoring her UFC commitments, reminding her that the promotion is her primary source of income. Reluctantly, Dern agreed to compete in both events, showcasing her dedication to both MMA and grappling.
The Craig Jones Invitational, set to feature a highly anticipated super fight between Dern and Ffion Davies, has generated significant buzz in the grappling community. The event’s organizers have made waves by forcing the ADCC to up the prizes in the female division. Upto this year, female winners of the ADCC would only win $6000 as opposed to $10,000 reserved for men.
“It’s amazing how much we support each other. I definitely think the numbers will show on Saturday night that people are interested in women’s fights. I think there will be a lot of people watching just for our fights, and I’m super excited.” – Dern added about her CJI participation.
Ffion Davies previously opened up on the fact that $6000 is what she would stand to make in a seminar and that an event that would require a substantial time and training investment really oughta do better.
