Mackenzie Dern secures invite to 2024 ADCC World Championships
Former ADCC champion and current UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern will compete at the 2024 ADCC World Championships.
Decorated BJJ black belt and current UFC strawweight fighter Mackenzie Dern is set to return to the ADCC mats this year.
On Thursday, the ADCC announced that Dern – a 2015 ADCC world champion – has accepted her invitation to compete in the 55kg division at the 2024 ADCC World Championships.
The event is set to go down this August at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. View a full list of competitors currently confirmed here.
One of the most accomplished BJJ athletes currently competing in MMA, Dern is an IBJJF gi and no-gi world champion, boasting victories over the likes of Tammi Musumeci, Michelle Nicolini, and multiple-time ADCC heavyweight champion Gabi Garcia. She earned gold at the 2015 ADCC World Championships.
The 30-year-old has not competed in submission grappling since suffering a first-round exit at the 2017 ADCC World Championships.
Since then, Dern has focused on her MMA career, quickly finding success at the highest levels of the sport. After a 5-0 run in smaller promotions, she joined the UFC in 2018 and reeled off a pair of wins before losing to perennial top contender Amanda Ribas.
Dern has continued to compete among the upper echelon of the UFC’s strawweight division, frequently finding herself knocking on the door of a title shot. She is currently riding a two-fight losing streak but is nonetheless ranked #8 in the strawweight division.
Throughout her BJJ and MMA career, Dern has proven herself to be a hyper-aggressive submission hunter capable of ending the match from seemingly any position. Fans should be interested to see how her game – particularly her dynamic guard attacks – holds up against modern elite competitors.
