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 | July, 2022 |
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.
Who exactly is Mackenzie Dern? What country is she from?
Mackenzie Dern, the previous number one, is a professional mixed martial artist and UFC fighter. Mackenzie Lynne Dern Santos is her full name.
She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, the daughter of Wellington “Megaton” Dias, a highly regarded grappling athlete, and her stepmother, Luciana Tavares, a black belt holder herself.
In some ways, Dern grew up knowing martial arts. She, as expected, followed in her parents’ footsteps and began training at the age of three.
Similarly, with the encouragement of her parents, Dern began participating at an early age and later in the adult divisions at the age of 14.
Dern has two half-siblings, Korah and Merrick, aside from her early training. Despite having been born in the United States, she is of Brazilian descent.
Dern learned to speak Portuguese, her first language, and English as part of her upbringing.
In addition, this American martial artist attended Ironwood High School in Glendale, Arizona. She then went on to pursue a professional career in martial arts.
Mackenzie Dern’s age?
– Age and Body Dimensions
Mackenzie Dern grew up surrounded by professional martial artists and began learning them at the age of three. Dern, who is 29 years old, is still pursuing her profession as an MMA fighter. Similarly, she was born on March 24, 1993, under the Aries star sign.
Not to mention that persons born under this sign are strong and competitive. We can guess where her competitive streak originates from! Stephanie McMahon Biography: Age, Height, Family, Career, Achievements, and Instagram Wiki >>
Dern measures 5 feet 4 inches tall and weights roughly 52 kgs, thanks to his athleticism and supportive parents.
However, in martial arts, how you use them is more essential than how you are formed. Dern, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, also follows a strict training regimen to be in fighting shape. Similarly, her regular training day begins with a morning run, followed by food and recuperation, followed by gym sparring.
Depending on the day of the week, she does wrestling, hitting, and grappling sessions. Dern continues to train at her father’s BJJ facility, who is also her inspiration, trainer, and strongest supporter.
MMA Professional Career
As previously said, Dern acquired everything she knows about martial arts from her parents. They have been extremely supportive of her career, and she has attained greater success as a result.
Before the age of 20, Dern had won a world championship in every belt she had worked her way up to, including black belt. Similarly, Mackenzie is the only female Jiu-Jitsu competitor to have won Black Belt Gold medals. Mackenzie had a 4-0 record with Legacy Fighting Alliance before joining with Invicta Fighting Championship in November 2017.
On December 8, 2017, she made her debut against Kaline Medeiros at Invicta FC 26: Maia vs. Niedzweidz. Dern won the bout with an armbar in the third round. Similarly, Dern made her promotional debut at UFC 222 on March 3, 2018. She won the match by a split decision over Ashley Yoder.
Following that, he faced Amanda Cooper at UFC 224 on May 12. Mackenzie was fined 30% of her purse because she weighed more than seven pounds in a non-title strawweight battle.
Mackenzie Dern suffers her first MMA defeat.
Despite the difficulties, Dern won the fight through rear-naked choke in the first round.Mackenzie returned to the ring on October 12, 2019, after a brief hiatus due to her pregnancy, against Amanda Ribas at UFC on ESPN+ 19. Unfortunately, she was defeated by unanimous decision.
In addition, she was scheduled to meet Ariane Carnelossi at UFC Fight Night 173 on April 25, 2020, but was forced to withdraw due to travel issues.Another bout with Hannah Cifers has also been postponed. Fortunately, their bout was eventually scheduled for May 30, 2020, at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns.
Furthermore, Mackenzie won with a first-round kneebar, becoming the first woman in UFC history to end a bout with any type of leg lock. She also received her first Performance of the Night award that night. She then faced Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night 178 on September 19, 2020.
Mackenzie comfortably won the bout by submission in the first round. Not to mention, Dern received her second consecutive Performance of the Night award at the 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)
Gabi Garcia was defeated.
Mackenzie stunned the MMA world when she defeated Gabi Garcia, the nine-time Women’s World Champion, despite a massive weight disparity in the BJJ Open Weigh Tourny.
Mackenzie almost outweighed the 90 kg Garcia, despite only weighing 55 kg at the time. You can also watch her interview after the massive knockout by clicking here.
Injury
Mackenzie Dern, the grappling superstar, was having a bad day. She, too, had to walk the path of suffering in order to achieve something.
She had a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in her knee during the World Championships in early June of 2018. It took her six weeks to get back into shape following the procedure.
Furthermore, Mackenzie’s third victory in 2020, a unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256 on Saturday, Dec. 12, came after she injured her nose.
Mackenzie Dern is she married? Personal Life and Husband
Mackenzie Dern has a successful love life in addition to a successful MMA and UFC career. Yes, the 27-year-old UFC fighter is married, having married her partner, Wesley Santos. Wesley is a professional surfer, for those who are unaware.
The couple was only together for a brief time and was first seen publicly in mid-2018. Following that, the couple married, and on June 9, 2019, they welcomed their first child, a daughter called Moa.
Not to mention that Dern took a career break to give birth to her child. Similarly, on June 10, Dern took to social media to reveal her kid to the world.
The small family appears to be living a happy life at the moment. Will Moa follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandfather? Time alone will tell. Furthermore, Dern has not been tied to any speculations or charges since her marriage. But the situation had changed.
In 2018, the professional UFC fighter was said to be dating Marcus Buchecha Almeida and was even seen at parties with him. Unfortunately, they split up later that year.
Dern was engaged to her then-fiance, Augusto Tanquinho Mendes, before marrying Santos. The two became well-known as Jiu-Jitsu couples. They called off their engagement and split up for an undisclosed cause.
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The UFC world was abuzz this week after a physical altercation between instructor Juan Gomez and surfer Wesley Santos. Unfortunately, the striking coach is more concerned with his profession than with his physical issues.
Wesley, better known as Mackenzie Dern’s husband, argued with the instructor after Gomez summoned her and Santos to the Black House gym in Los Angeles.
Similarly, she believes it has something to do with monetary settlement for her previous fight. To clarify, Gomez was in the same room as Dern’s father, Wellington, and coach, Bubba Jenkins, when she defeated Hannah Cifers at UFC on ESPN 9 in May.
When the media questioned Gomez, he did not elaborate on what caused the schism, but indicated that he still had “love” and “respect” for Mackenzie and her husband.
“It kills me to see this interview from her talking about the bonus, which was never my concern.” Never. People need to know the truth about this. What occurred between myself and her spouse had nothing to do with money or bonuses. Several reasons contributed to this. It was nothing major, and I believed we had turned the page.”
Furthermore, he explained how he approached Dern and apologized.
“A couple of days ago, I approached her friend, her wrestling coach, and apologized to her. Because I still like her in the end. Finally, I see our friendship. I want what is best for her. I wish her well in her fight.”
However, Gomez did address the matter between him and Santos that caused them to clash. It appears that it all started when Santos began taking greater responsibility for Dern’s battles. Even if he does not consider Santos to be a “bad person,” Gomez obviously believes that Santos is ignorant of the MMA industry.
What’s the story with Mackenzie’s accent?
Mackenzie continued her winning streak in April 2021 with a victory over Nina Nunes, but many began to notice her accent. Is it a ruse or does she naturally speak in this manner?
No, it does not. Mackenzie is an American professional MMA fighter who was born in Phoenix, Arizona. However, she has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and was previously the IBJJF number one rated female and a two-time BJJ world champion.
Wellington “Megaton” Dias, a well-known BJJ black belt from Rio de Janeiro, is Mackenzie’s father. She is also married to a professional Brazilian surfer who, like her, speaks Portuguese at home.
Essentially, while Mackenzie is a US citizen, her ancestors are Brazilian. She also continued to travel between Brazil and Arizona with her father to practice her painting when she was younger.
Mackenzie was frequently asked about her accent, which she viewed as a compliment. Furthermore, she was astounded to notice that people were paying far more attention to her accent than to her performance.
Dern and UFC reporter Ariel Helwani discussed fan-created movies depicting the change of Dern’s accent from typical Arizonian to massive Brazilian drawl. She simply laughed it off.
Furthermore, a video of her responding in scouse accent native tongue to Liverpool again after spending a day in Liverpool became viral.
Following in the footsteps of Conor McGregor, UFC Lightweight Champion
Mackenzie Dern has announced her intention to enter the UFC after defeating former Golden Gloves champion Katherine Roy at LFA 6 on March 10, 2017.
Mackenzie also stated that she intends to follow in the footsteps of Conor McGregor.
She has also reportedly signed with Paradigm Sports Management, which represents a number of MMA’s greatest personalities, including Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, Michael Page, and Cris Cyborg.
Net Worth and Income Estimation
From what we know, Mackenzie’s income comes from her career as a martial artist. But despite the wins and her successful career, Dern’s exact net worth as of now is still under review. Her exact earnings are also not revealed for public knowledge.
But yes, aligning with the online sources, few have claimed her net worth to be around $1.5 million.
During her first fight, Dern took home $50,000 and took another $29,000 with $3,500 fight week incentive pay from her second UFC bout at UFC 224.
Sadly, as hefty as the income is, UFC also fines heavy amounts for not following regulations.
Mackenzie learned it the hard way when she had to pay $13,050 for missing weight for the strawweight division.
Social Media Presence
Instagram– 829k Followers
Twitter– 43.8k Followers
Frequently Asked Question
When did Mackenzie Dern receive her black belt?
At the age of 19, on December 1st, 2012, she was awarded her Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
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