Mackenzie Dern is just days away from the biggest match of her career, and the Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion turned MMA star has plenty to say about her journey to a UFC title.
“Fighting in Abu Dhabi is, uh, so amazing for me because now, 10 years later, uh, I’ll be fighting October 25th, 2025, for the belt in MMA, UFC. Ten years ago, I won my belt in jiu-jitsu, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, at the Abu Dhabi World Pro against Gabi Garcia on April 25th, 2015,” Dern revealed. “It means a lot to me to be in the same country, um, in Abu Dhabi. So, I really feel like I have lots of good energy going into this.”
Reflecting on her decision to enter mixed martial arts, Dern explained:
“When I made the transition to MMA 10 years ago, I, um, I—I was doing it just to, like, see if I would like it, you know? I really wanted to see, uh, if I did like it, how I can represent jiu-jitsu on a bigger platform than just our jiu-jitsu community.”
She added in video:
“I thought the best way to give back to jiu-jitsu was, you know, be able to represent jiu-jitsu in MMA where Royce Gracie won the very first UFC, you know.”
“I had my daughter, I went through a pregnancy all while being in the UFC. So, I really grew inside the organization with wins and losses and battles and broken noses,” Dern said about her decade-long journey.
When asked about her path to championship level, Dern stated:
“I think the champion is hard. I had that since the beginning, and I think that’s what helped put me here, um, 10 years later. Even though, you know, with surgeries and pregnancy and all the things that life brought with me, that’s what kept me in it and that’s what put me in this place now.”
Discussing her upcoming match against Virna Jandiroba, Dern acknowledged the pressure:
“Having the rematch, me being on the winning side of it, it’s a little bit different because I think I have a little bit more pressure. Since I won the first time, you know, I know that Virna is going to come with everything, especially because now it’s worth the belt.”
With Brazilian pride on the line and a decade of preparation behind her, Dern is ready to seize her moment on October 25th in Abu Dhabi.
