Mackenzie Dern Bio
Mackenzie Lynne Dern, born on March 24, 1993, is an American and Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner who competes in the women’s strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is recognized as a top-tier grappler, holding a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and having claimed ADCC and no-gi world titles. A former world number one ranked IBJJF competitor, Dern currently holds the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship.
Early Life and Background
Mackenzie Lynne Dern was born in Phoenix, Arizona, and grew up traveling between the United States and Brazil, the native country of her father, Wellington Dias, known in the grappling world as Megaton Dias. Megaton Dias is a highly decorated grappling competitor, and Dern began training in martial arts by the age of three under his guidance. Her stepmother, Luciana Tavares, is also a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and contributed to Dern’s early development in the sport. She is fluent in both English and Portuguese, and has stated that Portuguese has become her primary language at home and in her fighting life.
Dern began competing at a young age and entered the adult divisions at 14, winning a world championship at every belt level as she progressed. She was promoted to black belt by her father in December 2012, three months before her 20th birthday. She graduated from Ironwood High School in Glendale, Arizona, and is the only female Jiu-Jitsu competitor to have won gold medals at black belt level at each of the five principal IBJJF Gi Championships, including the Worlds, Euros, Pan Ams, Brazilian Nationals, and the Asian Open.
Path to MMA
After years of success in competitive grappling, Mackenzie Lynne Dern transitioned to mixed martial arts and made her professional debut in 2016. She quickly built a record in regional promotions, going undefeated in her first four professional bouts. Her grappling pedigree made her an immediate prospect in the strawweight division, and she was signed by the UFC in early 2018. Since then, she has combined her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu base with striking development to compete among the elite of the 115-pound division.
Mackenzie Dern Career
Early Career (2016-2017)
Mackenzie Lynne Dern began her professional MMA career in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, making her debut against Kenia Rosas at Legacy FC 58. She won by unanimous decision, then followed it up with a first-round submission victory over Montana De La Rosa at Legacy FC 61. She added two more wins in the LFA, including a first-round rear-naked choke of Mandy Polk at LFA 24, finishing her regional run with a perfect 4-0 record.
After her run in Legacy Fighting Alliance, Dern signed with Invicta Fighting Championship in November 2017. She made her Invicta debut on December 8, 2017, at Invicta FC 26 against Kaline Medeiros and won the fight via armbar in the third round. The victory reinforced her status as one of the most promising strawweight prospects heading into the UFC.
UFC Breakthrough (2018-2020)
Mackenzie Lynne Dern made her UFC debut against Ashley Yoder on March 3, 2018, at UFC 222 and won by split decision. She followed it up with a first-round rear-naked choke submission of Amanda Cooper at UFC 224. After a hiatus for maternity leave, she returned in 2019 and suffered her first UFC loss to Amanda Ribas by unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN+ 19. She rebounded with a first-round kneebar finish of Hannah Cifers at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns, becoming the first woman in UFC history to finish a fight by any form of leg lock and earning her first Performance of the Night award. She added another first-round submission win over Randa Markos at UFC Fight Night 178, collecting a second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus.
UFC Strawweight Contention (2021-2024)
Over the next several years, Mackenzie Lynne Dern became a consistent presence in the UFC strawweight division. She submitted Nina Nunes with a first-round armbar at UFC on ABC 2 in April 2021, earning another Performance of the Night award, but lost a Fight of the Night decision to Marina Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night 194. She later won a split decision over Tecia Torres at UFC 273, and defeated Angela Hill by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 223. Losses to Yan Xiaonan, Jéssica Andrade, and Amanda Lemos were interspersed with decision wins over Loopy Godinez and a rematch victory over Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night 249, the latter coming by third-round armbar and another Performance of the Night bonus.
UFC Championship Era (2025-Present)
Mackenzie Lynne Dern reached the summit of the strawweight division on October 25, 2025, at UFC 321, where she defeated former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision to claim the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship. The victory was her first world title in mixed martial arts and cemented her place among the top fighters in the division.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although Dern is a mixed martial artist rather than a racing driver, her competitive identity rests on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She is widely regarded as one of the best grapplers in women’s MMA, with a finish rate built on armbars, rear-naked chokes, and leg locks. Her training out of MMA Lab and later Checkmat RVCA has allowed her to balance her submission skills with improved striking, making her a complete threat at 115 pounds.
Notable Events and Milestones
Mackenzie Lynne Dern made history at UFC on ESPN: Woodley vs. Burns in May 2020, becoming the first woman to finish a UFC fight with a leg lock, a kneebar on Hannah Cifers. She has collected multiple Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses, and in 2024 she returned to professional grappling at the inaugural Craig Jones Invitational, losing by submission to Ffion Davies.
Mackenzie Dern Career Wins
Mackenzie Lynne Dern has compiled a professional MMA record built on grappling-based finishes, particularly submissions from armbars, rear-naked chokes, and leg locks. Her UFC career features highlight-reel submissions and multiple post-fight bonuses.
UFC Highlights
In the UFC, Dern has earned Performance of the Night awards for her wins over Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos, Nina Nunes, and Amanda Ribas, and Fight of the Night awards for her bouts with Marina Rodriguez, Angela Hill, and Amanda Lemos. Her most recent UFC win came on October 25, 2025, when she defeated Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision to win the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship at UFC 321.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Dern went 4-0 in Legacy Fighting Alliance and 1-0 in Invicta Fighting Championship, where she submitted Kaline Medeiros by armbar in her debut. Her career has been anchored by a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and prior ADCC and no-gi world titles in grappling.
Mackenzie Dern Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Mackenzie Lynne Dern comes from a family of grapplers. Her father, Wellington Dias, known as Megaton Dias, is a highly decorated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor, while her stepmother, Luciana Tavares, also holds a black belt in the discipline. She was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, with frequent time spent in Brazil, and carries dual American and Brazilian nationality.
Personal Life
Mackenzie Lynne Dern was married to Brazilian professional surfer Wesley Santos, and the couple separated in 2022 before publicly divorcing. In February 2019, Dern announced that she had paused her MMA career for pregnancy, and her daughter was born on June 9, 2019. She resides in Huntington Beach, California, and has spoken publicly about her Brazilian heritage shaping her everyday life and training.
2025 Season Performance
Mackenzie Lynne Dern’s 2025 campaign reached its peak on October 25, 2025, when she defeated Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision at UFC 321 to win the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship. The title fight served as the culmination of several years of contender-level work in the division.
Earlier in 2025, she earned a Performance of the Night bonus for her third-round armbar win over Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night 249, a rematch that helped solidify her position as a top contender. She was also ranked #5 in the UFC women’s pound-for-pound rankings as of November 18, 2025, reflecting her rise into championship form.
With the strawweight title now in hand, Dern enters the next phase of her career as champion, with expectations around a first title defense and continued improvement in her striking game to complement her elite grappling base. She trains out of Checkmat RVCA and remains one of the most recognizable submission threats in women’s mixed martial arts.