Las Vegas, NV – UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern continues to be one of the more popular fighters on the roster inside and outside of the octagon. Between her fight career and her family Dern stays very busy.
Dern (12-2) is coming off a split-decision victory over Tecia Torres at UFC 273 in April. She’s already been looking forward to what is next in her career.
“The thing was let’s see if we can get a fight with Rose (Namajunas). The feedback was that Rose wasn’t planning on fighting anytime soon. So we’re kind of waiting to see if she feels like she wants to fight anytime soon, if she changes her mind. The second option, Yan Xiaonan, who’s one behind me. She’s coming off of two losses and I think she has a little injury so she’s not 100% sure when she’s going to fight,” Dern told Cageside Press at UFC X.
“So that fight we’re still waiting on if she’ll change her mind too.”
The third option may be the more fun of the three for Dern.
“If the UFC, if Carla (Esparza) doesn’t fight Zhang Weili, and that fight doesn’t happen. They decide to give an interim belt. Who knows I mean the UFC can do whatever they want. I know that Marina (Rodriguez) is first in line, but I also know that Marina had said no to a fight with Zhang Weili for the date that they wanted. I think she wanted some more time. So who knows, maybe they decide to make her wait and I’m here,” Dern said with a smile.
“I’m not saying I deserve more than Marina, she’s first in line, but who knows. If it doesn’t workout for them or something I’ll be ready.”
Outside of fighting Dern stays busy with her family and her daughter Moa who has finally entered jiu jitsu training.
“Moa she always trained with us at home. Me, my dad, my husband. But she was trying to takedown the kids in the park and do jiu jitsu, and fight the kids like on the regular playground. They’re crying and going to their moms,” Dern said with a laugh.
“I wasn’t going to take her to a gym until she was older. I wanted to really have that time of my technique with her and all that teaching of just like me and her. She already knows everything they’re learning (in class),” Dern said.
“(Now) it’s just for her to like ‘Ok you can go loose now’. You can go with these kids because they’re used to that.”
Watch the entire interview and Mackenzie Dern playing a round of “Heads Up” above. UFC X continues in Las Vegas leading up to Saturday night’s UFC 276.
