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Where Was Mackenzie Dern Born? All About the UFC Star’s Ethnicity and Nationality

Published 11/08/2023, 11:39 AM EST

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The UFC women’s strawweight division houses some of the most skilled fighters in the world. Being the #7-ranked fighter in the division is not an easy task. That is why it is safe to say that Mackenzie Dern is one of the best UFC strawweight fighters in the UFC. And having a diverse yet successful history in combat sports was a big help.

Apparently, both Dern’s father and stepmother used to be her trainers in her younger years. Both her parents were distinguished and decorated martial artists themselves. Today, we will learn all about the fighter Mackenzie Dern—where she was born, her nationality, her UFC record, and more. Many would be curious to know about the fighter who is going to be taking on the highly skilled Jessica Andrade at UFC 295.

Where was Mackenzie Dern born? Her early life!

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Mackenzie Dern became the #7 in the UFC women’s strawweight division after a long and winding road in the world of combat sports. Dern was born in Arizona to the highly established and celebrated grappling competitor, Wellington “Megaton” Dias.

However, she did a lot of her growing up in Brazil (her father’s native country) as well, as she kept traveling between Arizona and Brazil. At the age of 3 years, Dern started training with her father and her stepmother, who was also a black belt.

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She made her MMA debut with Legacy Fighting Alliance, an MMA promotion company. Then she took an interest in the Invicta Fighting Championship. She made her debut in 2017 and won the fight with an armbar in round three.

USA Today via Reuters

Naturally, the UFC was the next stop for her. In the year 2018, Dern made her UFC debut at UFC 222, opposite Ashley Yoder. She won the fight by split decision. Now, 5 years later, Dern is preparing to fight Jessica Andrade at UFC 295.

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Mackenzie Dern – Nationality, Ethnicity, and more

Although Mackenzie Dern was actually born and mostly brought up in Arizona, Dern says that she is the most comfortable speaking Portuguese. Dern, who is the mother of a 4-year-old daughter (Moa), openly admitted to having a Portuguese boyfriend who speaks to her in their native language. Naturally, most of her conversations happen in Portuguese.

via Imago

Dern recently got divorced, and in an interview, she said that the struggles she faced during the tough times helped her secure a win against Angela Hill. She put on a great show and was given the UFC Vegas 73 Fight of the Night bonus for her triumph. Now, the whole world is waiting to see how the Brazilian-American featherweight fighter fares against one of the best fighters in the division, Jessica Andrade.

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Written by:

Arghyadeep Ghosh

446Articles

One take at a time

Hi, I am Arghyadeep, a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. Being brought up alongside two brothers who were avid WWE fans, I had no option but to watch alongside them and sometimes even partake in their ‘re-enactments’. However, I found myself gravitating towards combat sports soon after.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar Das