Dern looking to soar higher in MMA. Mike the Truth.
BJJ star Mackenzie Dern has big plans for her MMA career. After her brilliant debut in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, she has set her sights on the biggest organization in the sport, the UFC.
After Dana White mentioned Dern in an interview with TMZ, Dern sat down with Combate.com’s Evelyn Rodrigues to discuss the hopefully near future.
“I knew the UFC had its eye on me,” she said. “We’ve had talks with my manager, the UFC and my team. That’s why I’m almost sure it will happen this year. They’ve been showing interest, and so have we, but we don’t want to go in to be just another girl. I don’t want to get in to have an alright career — win three, lose one… I want to get in, win and take the belt — have a great career. We train a lot to make it something different. Maybe it won’t be like Ronda, who would submit people in 15 seconds, but since my first fight I’ve had more attention given me than Ronda had in the first bouts she fought.”
Dern also said that she is looking to fight in the Abu Dhabi World Pro and the IBJJF’s World Championship this year, as well as on July 25 in the LFA, against roosterweight champion Andrea Lee. Dern’s overarching plan is to make the move to the UFC after she becomes the undisputed No. 1 athlete in BJJ.
