A Canadian sports bettor is celebrating a life-changing windfall after a long-shot wager placed years ago finally paid off when Mackenzie Dern captured the UFC women’s strawweight championship at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
The gambler staked $143 Canadian dollars on Dern to become champion by December 31, 2025, securing astronomical odds of +35000. When the Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace earned a unanimous decision victory over Virna Jandiroba in October 2025, the bet cashed for an impressive $50,193 CAD—a return of roughly 350 times the original investment.
The wager represented a remarkable act of faith in Dern’s potential at a time when her path to championship glory seemed uncertain. The odds reflected the skepticism surrounding her title aspirations but the bettor clearly saw something special in the grappling phenom’s ability to evolve into a complete mixed martial artist.
Dern’s journey to the title vindicated that belief. Speaking to media after her coronation, the new champion acknowledged the magnitude of her achievement while immediately setting her sights on what comes next.
“It’s like a dream come true, but every time I reach a goal, I always make a new one,”
Dern told reporters, including BJJDOC.
“I’m already thinking about getting back in the gym, getting better, and I know I’m going to have a huge target on my back now, so I’m ready for what’s coming next.”
During an appearance on the Jaxxon Podcast, Dern offered perspective on critics who questioned whether she deserved the title opportunity:
“I’m not just fig hting for this belt for seven years, you know? For me, in my mind, I’ve been f ghting for this belt since I was six years old, you know what I mean? That’s what got me here… I don’t know, 26 years fig hting for this, you know what I mean?”
Her path hasn’t been easy. Dern has balanced the demands of single motherhood with elite-level competition, a challenge she described candidly on the podcast.
“It’s hard. Super hard,”
she admitted.
“I’m thinking like, man, I don’t think Virna is going through all of this… When you have your kid, you’re like, they can’t go through any tough times—you don’t want them to go through tough stuff, you know? So that keeps you motivated.”
The evolution of Dern’s game proved crucial to her championship success. While renowned for her world-class Brazilian jiu-jitsu pedigree, she worked tirelessly to develop her striking, which paradoxically enhanced her grappling effectiveness in mixed martial arts.
“I think my striking has helped my grappling get way better in MMA, you know? Because now I can be way more adverse—like omoplatas and crazy stuff—but I know that I don’t want to stay on the bottom,”
Dern explained on the podcast.
She credited her father, the legendary Megaton, for her takedown arsenal.
“All my takedowns are like judo takedowns,”
she said, noting she became
“the first woman to do a leg lock in the UFC”
despite her father’s traditional objections to foot locks.
While Dern wanted a finish in her title bout, she left everything in the octagon during her unanimous decision victory over Jandiroba—a rematch after their previous encounter where Dern suffered a broken nose.
“I know I have what it takes, you know what I mean? It is possible. It can be done, ’cause it’s been done before,”
she said confidently before the bout.
Now, as champion, Dern recognizes the challenge ahead.
“They say it’s hard to get the belt, but it’s even harder to stay at the top and defend it,”
she noted post-match.
“So I’m definitely prepared for all the hard work that has to go in. The hard part starts now, but I’m excited.”
As for potential challengers, Dern expressed interest in facing Tatiana Suarez, saying,
“I would definitely like to fig ht Tatiana. Maybe she gets one more match in, but I want to have a couple more matches with some grapplers.”
Her approach to maintaining the championship reflects the adaptability that got her there.
“I have to redo myself every single fig ht so they can never find the right way to beat me,”
Dern explained.
For the bettor who saw championship potential years ago, Dern’s coronation delivered a $50,000 payday—and perhaps vindication that sometimes the longest odds are worth taking.
