Mackenzie Dern Record, stats and next fight

Background

Mackenzie Lynne Dern was born on March 24, 1993, in Phoenix, Arizona, and holds dual American and Brazilian citizenship. She started Brazilian jiu-jitsu at age three with her father, Wellington Dias, known as Megaton, and her stepmother Luciana Tavares, both black belts. She entered the adult division at fourteen and won a world title at every rank before earning her black belt.

Her grappling record includes IBJJF world championship titles and an ADCC title. She moved to MMA in 2016, competing for Legacy FC and then Invicta FC, before signing with the UFC. She has trained at The MMA Lab, Black House and Checkmat.

UFC Career

Dern debuted in the UFC in 2018 with wins over Ashley Yoder and Amanda Cooper, then suffered her first loss against Amanda Ribas in October 2019. She then strung together four straight finishes or decisions, including submissions of Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos and Nina Nunes, each rewarded with a bonus.

2022 and 2023 were more contested, with losses to Yan Xiaonan, Jéssica Andrade and Amanda Lemos, broken up by a win over Angela Hill named Fight of the Night. She got back on track in 2024 against Loopy Godinez, then submitted Ribas with an armbar in January 2025, four seconds before the end of the third round.

On October 25, 2025, at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, she won the vacant strawweight title by beating Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision. Her first defense came on August 15, 2026, at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, against Gillian Robertson, also after five rounds and a unanimous decision.

Dern pursued both careers at once, continuing to compete in grappling during her MMA years. Her move to five-round fights starting in 2021, against Marina Rodriguez and then Angela Hill, served as preparation for championship bouts. Her twelve UFC wins are the second-highest total in division history, and her five finishes place her among the most dangerous fighters in the weight class.

Fighting Style

Jiu-jitsu remains the core of her game: none of her seventeen wins came by knockout, and eight came by submission. She shares the record for most submission attempts in UFC strawweight history, sixteen, and holds the record for successful submissions in the division. Her two title fights, won on points over five rounds, show more developed boxing and pacing.