What Is Mackenzie Dern’s Nationality & Ethnicity?

The UFC women’s strawweight division houses some of the most skilled fighters in the world. Also, being the 6th-ranked fighter in the division is not an easy task, and 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 Mackenzie Dern—where she was born, her nationality, her UFC record, and more. So, without any further ado, let’s dive into it.

Is Mackenzie Dern actually Brazilian?

Mackenzie Dern became the #6 in the UFC women’s strawweight division after a long and winding road in the world of combat sports. She was born in the United States but also carried her father’s Brazilian roots. Hence, Dern holds two nationalities – American and Brazilian. At the age of 3 years, Dern started training with her father and her stepmother, who was also a black belt.

Mackenzie Dern made her MMA debut with Legacy Fighting Alliance, a Houston-based MMA promotion. Then she took an interest in the Invicta Fighting Championship, where she made her debut in 2017 and won the fight with an armbar in round three. Naturally, the UFC was the next stop for her and she’s been a part of Dana White‘s promotion since 2018.

Now, let us take a look at Mackenzie Dern’s life before her venture into mixed martial arts.

Where did Mackenzie Dern grow up?

As we’ve mentioned already, Mackenzie Dern was born in the US, in Arizona, to be exact. 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. Having started her training at a very young age, Dern made a real name for herself in the grappling world, winning a plethora of championships before her MMA advent.

Yes, Mackenzie Dern is a multiple-time grappling gold medalist and won tournaments like the ADCC World Championship, World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, European Championship, Asian Open Championship, and World Cup (Abu Dhabi), just to name a few. Given that Dern had some real help in the form of her father and mother, let’s explore a bit on that part.

Mackenzie Dern’s Family and Parents

Although Mackenzie Dern’s father, Wellington ‘Megaton’ Dias, is a famous BJJ practitioner, he didn’t have as much success as his daughter did in the grappling game. Nevertheless, he has a 7th-degree coral belt in BJJ, is a 4-time Pan American champion, and has even won silver and bronze medals in multiple World Championship campaigns. On the other hand, there isn’t much available in the public domain about Dern’s mother.

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, Wesley Santos, whom she later married, who speaks to her in their native language. Naturally, most of her conversations happen in Portuguese.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie Dern is one of the most good-looking fighters on the entire UFC roster, and her father wanted her to leverage that and dive into the modeling world rather than see her get punched in an MMA. Although Dern chose to get into mixed martial arts, she doesn’t think it would be wise to let her daughter become a fighter as well. “Honestly, I don’t I don’t know if I will be ready to see my daughter get punched in the face when she’s older,” Dern told the UFC a few years ago.

Mackenzie Dern also got divorced not too long ago, and in an interview, she said that the struggles she faced during the tough times helped her secure a win against Angela Hill last year. She put on a great show and was given the UFC Vegas 73 Fight of the Night bonus for her triumph. However, she had only won one fight since then, which was her last one against Loopy Godinez. Now, the whole world is waiting to see how the Brazilian-American featherweight fighter fares against one of the best fighters in the division, Amanda Ribas, at UFC Vegas 101 on January 11.

Do you believe Mackenzie Dern will start her 2025 campaign with a win? Let us know in the comments down below.