Women are truly dangerous creatures when they are passionate and determined about something.
Just after giving birth, Mackenzie Dern returned to one of the competitive and physically taxing sports, UFC(Ultimate Fighting Championship). For the information, she returned four months after her daughter’s birth.
Blessed with athleticism and trained by her parents, Mackenzie learned martial arts from an early age.
Thanks to her quick adaptability and discipline, Dern has been successful in his professional martial arts career.
Not to mention, Mackenzie is a former world no. 1 ranked IBJJF competitor and is ranked sixth in the female division. Added to that, she is also a black belt holder in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Putting her achievements to light, today, we will focus more on Dern’s life. We will also include information on her life, career, and more. Make sure to read till the end to find more.
Table of Contents
Mackenzie Dern: Quick Facts
| Full Name | Mackenzie Lynne Dern Santos |
| Birth Date | March 24, 1993 |
| Birth Place | Phoenix, Arizona, US |
| Known as | Mackenzie Dern |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Brazilian descent |
| Education | Ironwood High School |
| Horoscope | Aries |
| Father’s Name | Wellington “Megaton” Dias |
| Mother’s Name | Luciana Tavares (Step-mother) |
| Siblings | Two half-siblings |
| Age | 29 Years Old |
| Height | 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) |
| Weight | 52 kgs(115 lbs) |
| Build | Athletic |
| Eye color | Dark brown |
| Profession | Professional Mixed Martial Artist |
| Active years | 2016-present |
| Division | Strawweight |
| Team | Tristar Gym |
| Rank | A black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Wesley Santos (a professional surfer) |
| Kid | Moa Dern Santos (daughter) |
| Net Worth | around $1.5 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | UFC VENUM Mackenzie Dern Authentic Fight Night Women’s Walkout Jersey |
| Last Update | June, 2022 |
Who is Mackenzie Dern? Where is she from?
The former number 1, Mackenzie Dern, is a professional mixed martial artist and UFC fighter. Her full name is Mackenzie Lynne Dern Santos.
Born in the city of Phoenix, Arizona, the United States of America, she is the daughter of Wellington “Megaton” Dias, a highly praised grappling competitor, and her step-mother, Luciana Tavares, a black belt holder herself.
So, in a sense, Dern grew up knowing martial arts. As expected, she followed the steps of her parents and began training at the age of three.
Likewise, supported by her parents, Dern started competing at a young age and later in the adult divisions at 14.
Apart from her early training, Dern has two half-siblings: Korah and Merrick. Despite being born as an American citizen, she is originally of Brazilian descent.
As part of her upbringing, Dern is fluent in Portuguese, her primary tongue, and English.
Also, this American martial artist graduated from Ironwood High School in Glendale, Arizona. But after that, she pursued her professional career in martial art.
How old is Mackenzie Dern?- Age and Body Measurements
Surrounded by professional martial artists, Mackenzie Dern grew up picking those up from her early age at three.
Twenty-five years, Dern is 29 Years Old and is still pursuing her career as an MMA fighter. Likewise, she was born on March 24, 1993, under the star sign of Aries.
Not to mention, the people of this sign are known to be fierce and competitive. Guess we know where her competitive side comes from!
Blessed with athleticism and supported parents, Dern stands at 5 feet 4 inches and weighs around 52 kgs.
But in martial art, rather than how you are built, you use them that is more important. Also, a black belt holder in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Dern, follows a rigorous training regime to keep her ready for a fight.
Similarly, her typical day of training starts with a morning run, breakfast and rest, and then sparring in the gym.
She does wrestling, striking, and grappling session depending on the day of the week. Even today, Dern practices at her father’s academy, BJJ, who also happens to be her inspiration, trainer, and biggest supporter.
Professional MMA Career
As already stated, Dern learned everything regarding martial arts from her parents. They have been very supportive of her career, and she has achieved more success doing this.
Before she turned 20, Dern won a world championship in every belt as she progressed to a black belt rank. Likewise, Mackenzie is also the only female Jiu-Jitsu competitor to have won Gold medals at the Black Belt level.
In November 2017, Mackenzie fought under Legacy Fighting Alliance with a 4-0 before signing with Invicta Fighting Championship.
She finally made her debut on December 8, 2017, at Invicta FC 26: Maia vs. Niedzweidz against Kaline Medeiros. Dern won the fight via an armbar in round three.
Likewise, Dern made her promotional debut on March 3, 2018, at UFC 222. She won the match against Ashley Yoder via a split decision.
Following that, he faced Amanda Cooper on May 12 at UFC 224. But since she weighed over seven pounds of strawweight non-title fight, Mackenzie had to fine 30% of her purse.
Mackenzie Dern’s first MMA loss
Despite all the troubles, Dern won the fight via submission through a rear-naked choke in the first round.
After taking a short break following her pregnancy, Mackenzie made a comeback on October 12, 2019, against Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN+ 19. Sadly, she lost her fight via unanimous decision.
Also, on April 25, 2020, she was expected to face Ariane Carnelossi at UFC Fight Night 173 but was forced to withdraw due to travel restrictions.
Just like this, another fight with Hannah Cifers was also postponed. Luckily, their fight eventually took place on May 30, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns.
Moreover, Mackenzie swept the victory with a first-round kneebar, making her the first woman to finish a fight by any form of leg lock in UFC history.
That night, she also got her first Performance of the Night award. Following that, she faced Randa Markos on September 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 178.
Mackenzie won the fight easily via submission in the first round. Not to mention, Dern also got her second straight Performance of the Night award at that time.
IBJJF Records
Main Achievements:
- IBJJF World Champion (2015)
- IBJJF World No-Gi Champion (2015*)
- UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion (2015**)
- IBJJF Pan American Champion (2016/2015)
- FIVE Super League Champion (2015)
- IBJJF European Open Champion (2016/2015)
- Copa Podio Superfight Champion (2013)
Main Achievements (Colored Belts):
- IBJJF World Champion (2012** brown, 2011 purple, 2010/2009/2008 blue)
- IBJJF World No-Gi Champion (2012/2011** brown, 2010/2009 blue + purple)
- IBJJF Pan American Champion (2012 brown, 2011 purple)
- FIVE Super League Champion (2015)
- IBJJF European Open Champion (2012 brown, 2011** purple, 2010 blue)
