14-5 record holder Mackenzie Dern will kick-start the new year with her third heading Fight Night event at UFC Vegas 101. The 31-year-old may not have been as consistent as she’d hoped to be, but she’s making her ascension up the ranks at a steady pace. As Derm gears up to face Amanda Ribas for the second time in her UFC run, let’s take a deeper look into her personal life since the strawweight contender is one of the fighters in focus this weekend.

Mackenzie Dern is one of the most popular female stars in the promotion as she’s just one spot away from making it to the top 5. Moreover, the Brazilian-American star has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram, making her one of the most followed UFC fighters on the roster. Blessed with great martial arts pedigree and model looks, it appears Dern is a pretty religious individual.

Is Mackenzie Dern a Christian?

With her roots in Brazil, Mackenzie Dern was born in Phoenix, Arizona, which is a city where 66 percent of inhabitants follow Christianity. As such, the UFC star is also a devout Christian. However, research data and studies claim that 25 percent of those Christian inhabitants are Evangelical Protestants, and there’s no information available in the public domain about which community the Christian Dern belongs to.

When we mentioned that Mackenzie Dern is a religious individual, she has made it known to her fans and followers in her Instagram profile. With the two words – “God First” – the 6th-ranked strawweight contender expressed her gratitude towards the divine entity.

It’s not just Mackenzie Dern, but the family is a religious one as well. Moreover, that’s not the only thing that’s common in her family. They are martial artists as well. Let’s take a look at that aspect of her personal life.

More about Mackenzie’s background and family

Mackenzie Dern’s father, Wellington Dias, better known as ‘Megaton’, is a BJJ legend who trained at the Gracie Humaitá jiu-jitsu school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He has acquired many accolades, one of which is earning the coral belt in jiu-jitsu. Also, Dern’s stepmother, Luciana Tavares, is also a BJJ black belt. Hence, martial arts run in the family.

Having started her BJJ training at the age of 3, Mackenzie Dern’s record in the grappling world is as impressive as it can be. In all international competitions combined, the UFC strawweight star has more than a dozen gold medals, so it is no surprise that she’s excelling in MMA with an impressive 14 wins and 5 losses. Among those wins, seven have come by submissions, which showcased how effectively she’s been able to apply her BJJ skills in MMA.

Well, Mackenzie Dern has a shot at redemption and a chance to up the ranks and make the top 5 for a chance to get under title contention. Do you think she’ll make the move in the rankings when all is said and done against Amanda Ribas? Drop your comments below.