UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern shared her perspective on gender roles during a recent media appearance, offering a traditional viewpoint when asked about fellow athlete Ian Garry’s comments that the world would be better if women were in charge.
“I come from like a little bit more traditional upbringing, you know,” Dern explained. “Obviously, the women in my family are super strong and independent and they taught me how to be strong woman, but I don’t know. I like the guy protecting and, you know, leading and doing that stuff. And I like to just relax and if I need to go to war with him, I will.”
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, who is also a mother, emphasized her belief in female strength and independence while maintaining her preference for traditional relationship dynamics.
“I’m a mommy and stuff like that. So, I think it’s very good woman, strong woman, and we don’t depend on guys. We can be independent, but I like the man taking the lead,” she said.
Dern’s comments came as she prepared for her first title defense against Gillian Robertson. The champion acknowledged the ongoing challenges women face in gaining respect within MMA, noting that fan engagement often depends more on personality than performance.
“It’s still the whole like bathroom breaks and you know what I mean?” Dern said, referring to fans who dismiss women’s matches.
She suggested that exciting performances and consistency are key to changing perceptions.
“I think as if we can keep showing exciting matches, you see like Rose Namajunas, you know, knocking out Weili and all these crazy things, that’s where we keep getting the respect that we want.”
The champion also discussed the pressure of being part of women’s MMA during a time when female athletes haven’t headlined a UFC card in nearly 18 months.
“I always feel a little bit pressure to put on exciting performance, you know, just because I’m always putting that on myself,” she said.
Dern expressed confidence heading into her title defense, particularly given the grappling-heavy matchup with Robertson. After winning her championship primarily through striking, she welcomed the opportunity to showcase her world-class jiu-jitsu skills against another submission specialist.
