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Dana White Says Mackenzie Dern Slated to Fight Marina Rodriguez

Ben Coate

Elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Mackenzie Dern is scheduled to take one big step closer to fighting for the UFC strawweight title. In a recent interview with TMZ, UFC president Dana White revealed that the company is targeting a fight between Dern and top strawweight contender Marina Rogriguez. As the bout is not yet completely official, it does not have a date certain.

Mackenzie Dern is the daughter of jiu-jitsu legend Wellington “Megaton” Dias. She is in her own right an incredibly accomplished grappler, with a 2015 IBJJF black belt world championship, as well as a 2015 no-gi absolute world championship. She holds notable wins over Gabi Garcia, Pati Fontes, and Tammi Musumeci.

In MMA, Dern is one of the division’s most dangerous submission threats. With an 11-1 professional record, Dern is currently riding a four-fight win streak that includes submissions against Nina Nunes, Randa Markos, and Hannah Cifers. Another win could put Dern in position for the next title shot.

Dern’s opponent, Marina Rodriguez, is a fast-rising strawweight contender. A talented striker, she is coming off back-to-back wins over Amanda Ribas and Michelle Waterson.

Ben Coate

Ben has been involved with grappling, whether through wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu, essentially his entire life. After wrestling throughout his childhood, Ben found Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a young adult and quickly fell in love. He has been training for over ten years and currently holds the rank of brown belt, and remains involved in both the MMA and BJJ scene. Ben has been writing about combat sports since 2017. He has interviewed and profiled some of MMA's biggest stars, including multiple UFC champions.

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