Turning in her second straight victory overnight, grappling sensation, Mackenzie Dern may have no rush to land herself a shot at the strawweight crown after her UFC Vegas 101 stoppage win, however, if she ascends the throne, she plans to reign for a long period of time.
Dern, the current number six ranked strawweight contender, returned to action overnight in the first promotional event of the year, tackling former-foe and Brazilian fan-favorite, Amanda Ribas in the pair’s rematch.
And first matching five years ago in Florida, Dern dropped her first professional mixed martial arts loss in her eighth professional fight, in the form of a unanimous decision blemish to Ribas.
However, overnight, Dern forced a late third round stoppage at UFC Vegas 102, submitting the Minas Gerais native with a late armbar in their rematch, earning plaudits from the likes of former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor.
Mackenzie Dern promises dominant title reign after UFC Vegas 101 victory
And maintaining following the matchup how she plans to fight up the strawweight rankings in her return to action later this annum, Dern revealed she plans to hold the strawweight crown as part of a dominant reign at 115lbs.
“I think I’m very hard on myself and I always try to get better,” Mackenzie Dern said during her post-fight interview after UFC Vegas 101. “Even when I have a great performance I think I did so many things wrong. So I think it’s a lot of play messing in your head, so it can take your journey and maybe makes it a little longer. But I think in the end it really helps you want to be the best fighter possible, if you can really look back and have constructive criticism on yourself, you know?”
“My idea isn’t to go fight for the belt and then lose it fast,” Mackenzie Dern explained. “My idea is to get the belt, and I want to be a dominant champion. So I’m not in a rush to get there. I want to have good fights, and I want to make a statement.”
