Several UFC fighters have admitted that they risk getting into the Octagon to provide for their families and kids. Many fans may remember how the noted UFC champ-champ forever, Amanda Nunes, brought her daughter into the UFC 289 Octagon to celebrate her victory over Irene Aldana in the last fight of her UFC career. Incidents like these showcase that UFC fighters aren’t an exception when it comes to parenting their kids. Well, the famed UFC strawweight, Mackenzie Dern, has also celebrated one of her victories in an Amanda Nunes-like manner.

After her UFC 273 victory over Tecia Torres, Dern brought her little daughter, Moa, into the Octagon to celebrate her victory. But beyond those joyful moments lies a story of love, custody struggles, and the constant balancing act between being a world-class fighter and a devoted mom.

Who Is Mackenzie Dern’s Daughter Moa Santos Dern?

Moa Santos Dern came into the world in June 2019 and changed her mother’s life forever. Mackenzie Dern, then 26 and unbeaten in MMA, announced the birth of her daughter with a heartfelt Instagram post, “A little late, stubborn, american/brazilian, beautiful, perfect, God’s gift and our family’s biggest pride!” Delivery was smooth and I had the most important people by my side!”

Her father, professional surfer Wesley Santos, was Dern’s boyfriend at the time. Moa was a surprise, one that arrived just as Dern was beginning her UFC run, as she later admitted, “Everybody thought my career was over. ‘Now that she is a mother, she will never fight again’, I felt the other way, more motivated, stronger, more dedicated… The training is never that bad, you know? Sometimes I have a bad day, but it doesn’t bother my daughter, and if she is happy, everything is good. I will be back tomorrow and train hard again.”

Since then, Moa has become more than just Mackenzie Dern’s daughter; she’s been her strength and her biggest fan. But being a mother in the fight business isn’t easy, especially when family dynamics grow complicated.

Mackenzie Dern’s Co-Parenting and Custody Issues With Ex-Husband Wesley Santos

Mackenzie Dern’s personal life took a turn in 2022 when she divorced Wesley Santos after a rocky marriage. Though they share custody of Moa, co-parenting has been anything but simple. Disagreements over parenting and travel arrangements have spilled into public view and even affected fight week plans.

Ahead of her UFC 321 title fight, Dern revealed on The Ariel Helwani Show that she might not be able to have Moa by her side in Abu Dhabi as she revealed, “I don’t know. I got to see if her dad will let me take her right now. He’s saying he doesn’t want to let me take her, but we’ll see. We’ll try and figure that out.”

Santos’ reasoning, according to Dern, is about fairness, as she further shared, “He just doesn’t want me to take her because he says I don’t let him take her to all the surf competitions.” But Dern insists her decisions are about balance, not restriction. “I’m like, but she can’t miss school. There’s still school. But anyway, it’s just, I mean, it’s a title fight, you know.”

Her frustration is understandable. Moa has always been part of her journey, from cheering in Vegas to spending two weeks in Abu Dhabi during Dern’s previous fight. “This time…it just feels like he’s being difficult,” she said. For Mackenzie Dern, fighting without her daughter’s presence feels like stepping into the Octagon without her biggest source of strength. Still, Dern’s story isn’t one of complaint; it’s one of resilience. Because for her, motherhood isn’t a burden to balance.

How Mackenzie Dern Balances UFC Career and Motherhood

Balancing life as a top-ranked UFC fighter and a full-time mom isn’t a skill; it’s a superpower Mackenzie Dern has been perfecting for years. The #5-ranked strawweight often brings Moa along to training camps, turning the gym into a playground and the mats into a second home.

In an interview with Muscle & Fitness, she confessed, “She listens to me, but you still have to keep your eyes open because kids wander, oftentimes I’ll see her on a weight machine, and I have to remind her, ‘You can’t be there.’”

Between sparring sessions and shadowboxing drills, Dern keeps one eye on her opponents and the other on her daughter. Some days, Moa plays with the heavy bags or does her own version of gymnastics. Other days, Mackenzie Dern plays a movie on her laptop just to keep her entertained while she hits the weights. “It can wear on a child,” Dern admits, “but she’ll run around, play, and hit the bag.”

After defeating Amanda Ribas, Dern’s proudest moment came when her little girl joined her in the Octagon. “It was really good to have my daughter next to me, raising her hand with me,” she recalled. “It felt like we did this together.”  Now, as Dern prepares for her rematch with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321, one thing is clear: whether Moa is sitting cageside or cheering from home, she’ll be part of the fight in spirit!