Mackenzie Dern Bio
Mackenzie Lynne Dern is an American and Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She currently competes in the women’s strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she serves as the UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion. A former world number one ranked IBJJF competitor, Dern is widely recognized for her elite grappling pedigree, including ADCC and no-gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world championships at black belt. She is widely regarded as one of the most decorated grapplers to transition into mixed martial arts.
Born in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised between the United States and Brazil, Dern brings a bilingual and bicultural background to her fighting career. Now fighting out of Huntington Beach, California, she has built a reputation for aggressive ground fighting, submission finishes, and a steady climb through the rankings of the UFC strawweight class.
Early Life and Background
Mackenzie Lynne Dern was born on March 24, 1993, in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the daughter of Wellington “Megaton” Dias, a highly decorated Brazilian grappling competitor, and grew up traveling between Arizona and her father’s native Brazil. This dual upbringing gave Dern fluency in both English and Portuguese, and she has often described Portuguese as her primary language, including when she thinks and dreams.
Dern began training in martial arts by the age of three, practicing alongside her father and her stepmother, Luciana Tavares, who is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. She started competing at a young age and moved into adult divisions by age 14. As she progressed through each belt rank, she won a world championship at every level, and her father promoted her to black belt in December 2012, three months before her twentieth birthday. She graduated from Ironwood High School in Glendale, Arizona.
Her competitive résumé includes gold medals at the highest levels of International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) competition. She is the only female Jiu-Jitsu competitor to have won gold medals at black belt level at each of the five principal IBJJF gi championships: the Worlds, the European Championship, the Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the Brazilian Nationals, and the Asian Open. Among her most celebrated victories was a win over Gabi Garcia, one of the few women ever to defeat the legendary heavyweight grappler.
Path to MMA
Dern built her reputation entirely on grappling before deciding to test herself in mixed martial arts. After years of dominating gi and no-gi tournaments, she made her professional MMA debut in 2016 under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner. Her grappling base immediately translated into early finishes and decisions, and a perfect 4-0 start convinced major promotions of her potential.
In November 2017, after four straight professional wins, Dern signed with Invicta Fighting Championship, the leading all-women MMA organization at the time. Her Invicta run was brief but decisive, setting the stage for her move to the largest stage in the sport. By early 2018, she had earned a contract with the UFC, the premier mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
Mackenzie Dern Career
Early Career (2016-2017)
Dern made her professional mixed martial arts debut against Kenia Rosas at Legacy FC 58 and won by unanimous decision. She followed that with a first-round submission win over Montana De La Rosa at Legacy FC 61, a unanimous decision victory over Katherine Roy at LFA 6, and a first-round rear-naked choke of Mandy Polk at LFA 24 after moving up to flyweight. She finished her pre-UFC career with an unblemished 4-0 record.
On December 8, 2017, at Invicta FC 26, Dern faced Kaline Medeiros and won by armbar in the third round. The performance cemented her status as a top strawweight prospect and led directly to her UFC signing.
UFC Breakthrough (2018-2020)
Dern made her UFC debut on March 3, 2018, at UFC 222 against Ashley Yoder and earned a split-decision victory. She added a first-round rear-naked choke win over Amanda Cooper at UFC 224, though the bout was contested at catchweight after she missed the strawweight limit. A unanimous decision loss to Amanda Ribas in October 2019, coming off maternity leave, briefly halted her momentum.
Dern rebounded in 2020 with a historic run. She submitted Hannah Cifers with a first-round kneebar at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns, becoming the first woman to finish a fight by any form of leg lock in UFC history and earning her first Performance of the Night award. She followed with a first-round submission of Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night 178 for another Performance of the Night bonus, then capped the year with a unanimous decision win over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256.
Title Contention Era (2021-2024)
In 2021, Dern continued her ascent with a first-round armbar of Nina Nunes at UFC on ABC 2, earning another Performance of the Night award, but lost a unanimous decision to Marina Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 194 in a bout that earned the Fight of the Night award. In 2022, she took a split decision over Tecia Torres at UFC 273 before dropping a majority decision to Yan Xiaonan at UFC Fight Night 211.
She bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Angela Hill at UFC Fight Night 223 in May 2023, again earning Fight of the Night honors. A second-round TKO loss to former champion Jéssica Andrade at UFC 295 interrupted her run, and a unanimous decision loss to Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 followed despite another Fight of the Night bonus. She closed the stretch with a unanimous decision over Loopy Godinez at UFC on ABC 7 in August 2024 and a third-round armbar of Amanda Ribas in their January 2025 rematch at UFC Fight Night 249, capturing another Performance of the Night award.
Championship Era (2025-Present)
On October 25, 2025, at UFC 321, Dern faced Virna Jandiroba in a rematch for the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship and won by unanimous decision to capture the title. The victory marked the culmination of a years-long climb to the top of the 115-pound division.
She is scheduled to make her first title defense against Gillian Robertson on August 15, 2026, at UFC 330. Heading into that bout, Dern is ranked among the top female fighters in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Style and Strengths
Dern is best known for her world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and submission grappling. The majority of her professional victories have come by submission, often through armbars, rear-naked chokes, and leg locks. Her conditioning, top pressure, and finishing instincts make her especially dangerous when the fight hits the mat, while her improvements in striking have allowed her to compete at a high level for the full fifteen minutes.
Notable Events and Milestones
Dern’s most historic moment came in 2020, when her kneebar of Hannah Cifers made her the first woman to finish a UFC fight with any form of leg lock. She is also a multi-time Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night recipient, and her 2025 capture of the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship stands as the defining milestone of her professional career.
Mackenzie Dern Career Wins
Across her professional MMA career, Mackenzie Dern has compiled sixteen wins against five losses in twenty-one total bouts. Her victories include eight by submission, four by decision, and one by knockout, reflecting her identity as a grappler who also continues to round out her stand-up game.
UFC Highlights
Dern’s UFC résumé features signature wins over Ashley Yoder, Amanda Cooper, Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos, Virna Jandiroba, Nina Nunes, Tecia Torres, Angela Hill, Loopy Godinez, and a rematch win over Amanda Ribas via third-round armbar. Her most recent and most significant victory came at UFC 321 in October 2025, when she defeated Jandiroba by unanimous decision to claim the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship.
Other Wins and Performances
Before the UFC, Dern went 4-0 under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner and added a third-round armbar of Kaline Medeiros at Invicta FC 26. Outside MMA, she returned to professional grappling in 2024, competing against Ffion Davies in a superfight at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, where she lost by submission.
Mackenzie Dern Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Dern comes from a strong martial arts family. Her father, Wellington “Megaton” Dias, is a highly decorated grappler who introduced her to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at age three. Her stepmother, Luciana Tavares, is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. Her instructor lineage traces back through Royler Gracie, Hélio Gracie, Carlos Gracie Sr., and Mitsuyo “Count Koma” Maeda, connecting her to the founders of the art.
Personal Life
Dern was married to Brazilian professional surfer Wesley Santos. The couple separated in 2022, and after divorce proceedings, Dern publicly accused Santos of physical abuse. In February 2019, she announced that she was putting her MMA career on hold due to pregnancy, and her daughter was born on June 9, 2019. Dern has spoken openly about the importance of motherhood in her life and continues to balance her championship career with raising her child.
2025 Season Performance
Dern’s 2025 campaign was defined by her pursuit of UFC gold. Her January 2025 rematch win over Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night 249, finished by third-round armbar, earned her another Performance of the Night award and positioned her as the next contender for the strawweight title.
On October 25, 2025, at UFC 321, she faced former opponent Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship and won by unanimous decision to claim the title. The victory completed a turnaround from her 2020 loss to Jandiroba and capped years of steady improvement in her striking and cardio.
With the belt around her waist, Dern now turns her attention to her first title defense against Gillian Robertson, scheduled for August 15, 2026, at UFC 330. As champion, she enters the next phase of her career as the face of the UFC strawweight division.