What Degree Black Belt Is UFC Star Mackenzie Dern? All We Know About Her Jiu-Jitsu Career

The year 2023 wasn’t a pretty smooth one for the famed UFC strawweight Mackenzie Dern in terms of personal relationships. Dern had to go through the grueling process of providing alimony to her husband Wesley Santos since their divorce in late 2022. But, she never gave up working towards improving her skills which also brought her a few glorious moments this year. One of them was the upgrade of her BJJ belt that happened earlier this year.

Most fans may know that Dern is a well-established BJJ athlete as well. She has also won several coveted international BJJ tournaments, including the noted ADCC and IBJJF Gi Championships. She showcased her superb ground game in her UFC Vegas 73 fight against Angela Hill, which had her coach convinced to award her with a BJJ belt of the next level. Some fans might know that Dern already holds a black belt in BJJ. But do you know what was the latest upgrade in her BJJ black belt that her coach awarded to her?

Mackenzie Dern and Nate Diaz hold the same rank when it comes to BJJ

Most UFC fans are well aware of the fact that the noted UFC star, Nate Diaz, possesses a high-level ground game. His prowess in BJJ becomes quite understandable after looking at the current rank that he holds, as per the BJJ playbook.

As of now, Diaz holds a third-degree black belt in BJJ. Dern was also awarded a similar upgrade to her BJJ belt by her coach earlier this year after her UFC Vegas 73 fight. Like Diaz, Dern also holds a third-degree black belt in BJJ currently.

A look at the results of her UFC fights to date will provide the fans with an idea about how good she is on the ground. The Brazilian-American has achieved 4 of her 8 UFC wins via submissions, which provides her with a superb recording of gaining 50% of her total UFC wins by submission.

Will Mackenzie Dern be able to repeat her UFC Vegas 73 performance in her upcoming fight?

A lot of UFC fans may know that Dern is scheduled to take on the reputed former UFC strawweight champ, Jessica Andrade, at UFC 295. Dern’s Brazilian rival has showcased her well-rounded fight game multiple times inside the octagon. However, she is currently on a three-fight losing streak. Hence, it’s quite apparent that ‘Bate Estaca’ will be desperate to forge a comeback with a victory over Dern.

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But it’s pertinent to note that Dern’s last rival and her upcoming one have a huge difference in their skills. Andrade is a lot more accomplished fighter in the UFC than her previous rival, Angela Hill. In such a situation, the Brazilian-American may have to put in a lot more effort if she wants a repetition of her UFC Vegas 73 fight in her upcoming UFC 295 bout. Do you think she will manage to do it?

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