Balancing motherhood and an MMA career requires multitasking mastery, and UFC star Mackenzie Dern has been happily honing this essential skill set for the past five years. As the sixth-ranked strawweight in the UFC, a regular part of Dern’s routine often involves having her 5-year-old daughter, Moa, accompany her to the gym during fight camp.
Dern’s motherly instincts sometimes have to kick in, even at times when she’s avoiding sidekicks from her sparring partner. she constantly rely on her peripheral vision to ensure Moa is safe and not getting into any gym shenanigans.
“She listens to me, but you still have to keep your eyes open because kids wander,” Dern says. “Oftentimes I’ll see her on a weight machine, and I have to remind her, ‘You can’t be there.’”
Keeping small tabs on her biggest supporter is a happy challenge that comes with being both a mom and one of the top female fighters in the world. Every moment with Moa is to be cherished, she says. None may have been as special as having her in the middle of the Octagon after Dern’s January victory over Amanda Ribas.
“It was really good to have my daughter next to me, raising her hand with me,” Dern says. “It felt like we did this together.”
Currently, as Mackenzie Dern waits patiently for her next opponent to be announced, she is taking advantage of her time as a mother and enjoying a well-deserved break after her impressive armbar submission win over Ribas. During this brief downtime, Dern is focusing on family before a match is signed.
“I get to get my nails done—and keep them,” she says while relaxing in Rio de Janeiro. “For two weeks, I get to be Mackenzie the girly girl. I don’t know about guys, but we love to go to the salon, do our hair, hydrate, and go shopping.”
This significant victory marked a turning point for Dern (15-5, 10-5 in the UFC), who is now on a two-fight win streak after avenging the first loss of her career, which she suffered against Ribas in 2019.
“That submission was really important for me,” she shares. “She was my first loss, and my career took a different turn following that defeat.”
Zuffa LLC, Nolan Walker
Mackenzie Dern balances her intense training regimen with motherhood. Many times a trip to the gym becomes a version of “take your daughter to work day.” While juggling these two responsibilities can be challenging, mother-daughter time ranks among the most enjoyable aspects of her life, even if her daughter, sometimes has different ideas about what constitutes fun.
“Oftentimes, during my all-day training schedule, it can wear on a child,” Dern explains. “But she’ll run around, play on the mats, do gymnastics, and hit the bag. Sometimes she doesn’t want to go and says, ‘Oh, come on.'”
To keep her daughter smiling, Dern sometimes resorts to playing a movie on her laptop. At the same time, Dern slips in her earbuds and hits the weights.
Dern relies heavily on lower-body exercises to maximize her grappling strength on the mats while also helping to counteract the years of wear and tear she has faced. “I’ve gone through so many injuries from takedowns, and my knees sometimes get, you know, ripped to the side,” she shares. “The goal is always to protect and support my joints and back to ensure a longer career.”
Dedicated to her weight training, Dern hits the gym at least six times a week. With Jamaican singer Beam in her earbuds, she performs a variety of exercises, including cleans, deadlifts, and squats, complemented by accessory movements like extensions and hip thrusts. She also boxes three times a week and trains on the BJJ mats for another three sessions.
Recovery is crucial for Dern. Over the course of her career, her injury list includes a broken nose and several ACL and MCL tears. She utilizes post-training techniques such as compression boots and visits to Huntington Beach’s Repair Sports Institute. “They take care of me after training, even before fights, addressing any little issues I feel,” she notes.
For Dern, weightlifting has become the cornerstone of maintaining her health and protecting herself from injuries. “Weightlifting is the one thing I do constantly because it helps me. Especially when I start doing MMA, and they’re twisting my arms and legs. I need that protection,” she explains. “So whenever I finish a camp or fight, weightlifting is the first thing I return to.”
Mackenzie Dern has been recognized as one of the elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts in the sport since she began competing internationally in 2012. She has won gold in nearly every major BJJ tournament, including multiple championships in the IBJJF, as well as titles at the World Pro and ADCC.
She’s also the daughter of one of BJJ’s most influential practitioners, Wellington “Megaton” Dias. Dern recalls telling her father about her decision to challenge herself by stepping into MMA. “He didn’t want me to go at all—he was against it,” she admits. “He said, ‘No, you’re too pretty. You shouldn’t get punched in the face. That’s for guys.’ So it was against my dad’s will. But now he loves it and supports me.”
Now, it’s her little girl who may one day want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. For now, after two straight wins, Moa is focusing on becoming a mini hype machine. And Dern couldn’t be happier. “She tells me, ‘Mom, you need to train every day because then you’re going to fight for the belt, win lots of belts, and become a champion!’”
Balancing her career with motherhood has been a rewarding challenge for Dern. “She’s starting to understand the relationship between sacrifice and reward,” Dern explains. “Sometimes she says, ‘We have to go to training.’”
Splitting her time between chasing a UFC championship and chasing after Moa down the hallway is a challenge Dern happily accepts. Despite the long days and nights and the demanding grind of being a UFC fighter, moments with Moa are cherished, such as their time together in Abu Dhabi after her 2024 win over Lupita Godinez or playing beauty parlor in the living room after a tough workout. Motherhood remains the greatest title for Dern.
“I understand that when you’re home and tired, and she wants to play, you have to be present,” she says. “You find yourself playing salon or beauty while trying to relax, and she’s painting your whole face. Those moments are truly the best, and they’re what I try to cherish.”
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Dern’s motherly instincts sometimes have to kick in, even at times when she’s avoiding sidekicks from her sparring partner. she constantly rely on her peripheral vision to ensure Moa is safe and not getting into any gym shenanigans.
“She listens to me, but you still have to keep your eyes open because kids wander,” Dern says. “Oftentimes I’ll see her on a weight machine, and I have to remind her, ‘You can’t be there.’”
Keeping small tabs on her biggest supporter is a happy challenge that comes with being both a mom and one of the top female fighters in the world. Every moment with Moa is to be cherished, she says. None may have been as special as having her in the middle of the Octagon after Dern’s January victory over Amanda Ribas.
“It was really good to have my daughter next to me, raising her hand with me,” Dern says. “It felt like we did this together.”
Currently, as Mackenzie Dern waits patiently for her next opponent to be announced, she is taking advantage of her time as a mother and enjoying a well-deserved break after her impressive armbar submission win over Ribas. During this brief downtime, Dern is focusing on family before a match is signed.
“I get to get my nails done—and keep them,” she says while relaxing in Rio de Janeiro. “For two weeks, I get to be Mackenzie the girly girl. I don’t know about guys, but we love to go to the salon, do our hair, hydrate, and go shopping.”
This significant victory marked a turning point for Dern (15-5, 10-5 in the UFC), who is now on a two-fight win streak after avenging the first loss of her career, which she suffered against Ribas in 2019.
“That submission was really important for me,” she shares. “She was my first loss, and my career took a different turn following that defeat.”
Zuffa LLC, Nolan Walker
Waiting and Watching Mom in the Weightroom
Mackenzie Dern balances her intense training regimen with motherhood. Many times a trip to the gym becomes a version of “take your daughter to work day.” While juggling these two responsibilities can be challenging, mother-daughter time ranks among the most enjoyable aspects of her life, even if her daughter, sometimes has different ideas about what constitutes fun.
“Oftentimes, during my all-day training schedule, it can wear on a child,” Dern explains. “But she’ll run around, play on the mats, do gymnastics, and hit the bag. Sometimes she doesn’t want to go and says, ‘Oh, come on.'”
To keep her daughter smiling, Dern sometimes resorts to playing a movie on her laptop. At the same time, Dern slips in her earbuds and hits the weights.
Dern relies heavily on lower-body exercises to maximize her grappling strength on the mats while also helping to counteract the years of wear and tear she has faced. “I’ve gone through so many injuries from takedowns, and my knees sometimes get, you know, ripped to the side,” she shares. “The goal is always to protect and support my joints and back to ensure a longer career.”
Dedicated to her weight training, Dern hits the gym at least six times a week. With Jamaican singer Beam in her earbuds, she performs a variety of exercises, including cleans, deadlifts, and squats, complemented by accessory movements like extensions and hip thrusts. She also boxes three times a week and trains on the BJJ mats for another three sessions.
Recovery is crucial for Dern. Over the course of her career, her injury list includes a broken nose and several ACL and MCL tears. She utilizes post-training techniques such as compression boots and visits to Huntington Beach’s Repair Sports Institute. “They take care of me after training, even before fights, addressing any little issues I feel,” she notes.
For Dern, weightlifting has become the cornerstone of maintaining her health and protecting herself from injuries. “Weightlifting is the one thing I do constantly because it helps me. Especially when I start doing MMA, and they’re twisting my arms and legs. I need that protection,” she explains. “So whenever I finish a camp or fight, weightlifting is the first thing I return to.”
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Motherhood then MMA for Mackenzie Dern
Mackenzie Dern has been recognized as one of the elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts in the sport since she began competing internationally in 2012. She has won gold in nearly every major BJJ tournament, including multiple championships in the IBJJF, as well as titles at the World Pro and ADCC.
She’s also the daughter of one of BJJ’s most influential practitioners, Wellington “Megaton” Dias. Dern recalls telling her father about her decision to challenge herself by stepping into MMA. “He didn’t want me to go at all—he was against it,” she admits. “He said, ‘No, you’re too pretty. You shouldn’t get punched in the face. That’s for guys.’ So it was against my dad’s will. But now he loves it and supports me.”
Now, it’s her little girl who may one day want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. For now, after two straight wins, Moa is focusing on becoming a mini hype machine. And Dern couldn’t be happier. “She tells me, ‘Mom, you need to train every day because then you’re going to fight for the belt, win lots of belts, and become a champion!’”
Balancing her career with motherhood has been a rewarding challenge for Dern. “She’s starting to understand the relationship between sacrifice and reward,” Dern explains. “Sometimes she says, ‘We have to go to training.’”
Splitting her time between chasing a UFC championship and chasing after Moa down the hallway is a challenge Dern happily accepts. Despite the long days and nights and the demanding grind of being a UFC fighter, moments with Moa are cherished, such as their time together in Abu Dhabi after her 2024 win over Lupita Godinez or playing beauty parlor in the living room after a tough workout. Motherhood remains the greatest title for Dern.
“I understand that when you’re home and tired, and she wants to play, you have to be present,” she says. “You find yourself playing salon or beauty while trying to relax, and she’s painting your whole face. Those moments are truly the best, and they’re what I try to cherish.”
Continue reading...
