Mackenzie Dern wants to join UFC in summer 2017
One of MMA's top prospects has some business to take care of before making that walk to the Octagon.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar Mackenzie Dern has gone 2-0 since joining the pro fighting ranks last July, with her rarely seen Imanari choke of Montana Stewart topping several 2016 submission of the year lists. The 23-year-old strawweight appears to have the talent and charisma to make the jump to the big leagues whenever she wants, but she remains deeply committed to the world of competitive grappling.
Dern would like to cement her position as the queen of her domain before fully committing to MMA with a move to the UFC this summer.
"Right now I am No. 1 in the world (in jiu-jitsu), so I would like to go into the UFC being No. 1 in the world." Dern told Duane Finley and Hunter Alek Homistek of FloCombat. "The ranking finishes at the Worlds, then hopefully I can make my debut in the UFC this year, maybe in June or July. I would like to do that.
"I told myself when I'm in the UFC then I'll be 100 percent (MMA). Maybe if I don't have a fight coming up maybe I'll do a superfight or do the ADCC, but not doing all these other tournaments I've been doing so much. It's addicting. So addicting."
In the meantime, Dern still has some kinks to work out both in her all-around game and fight preparation. For her bout with Stewart, Dern came in over the 115-pound limit.
She gets another chance to show she can make the cut when she fights Katherine Roy at a Legacy Fighting Alliance show in San Antonio on March 10.