Mackenzie Dern plans to continue stint at Strawweight:
Despite a highly scrutinized botched weight cut against Amanda Cooper in her most recent octagon walk, undefeated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner Mackenzie Dern has reiterated her plan to remain at Strawweight for the foreseeable future. Arguably the most decorated BJJ player in MMA today, Facing the striking heavy Cooper at UFC 224 in Brazil, Dern stepped on the scales a whopping 7 pounds over the 115lbs Strawweight limit, with many considering the weight and hydration advantage played a factor in her second UFC victory, significant enough to see her submit 'ABC' in the opening round.
Dern, the daughter of the renowned 'Megaton' Dias, explained how a mixture of poor discipline, diet and a missed plane journey contributed to her failed weight cut, and how she had been since invited to the UFC Performance Institute, in order to establish a diet plan and discuss her nutrition if she plans on remaining at 115lbs. It has to be noted that prior to her meeting with Cooper, Dern was invited to leave Arizona team MMA Lab after her narrow decision victory over Ashley Yoder.
Speaking with Brazilian web page Globo Combate, the American detailed her future plans and delved into some of the aspects of her fight preparation the UFC were exploring.
"After I did not hit weight, the UFC called me, they said they were thinking of moving me up, they called me to come to the Performance Institute in Las Vegas to see what my body type was like, if it was better to continue at Strawweight or move up to Flyweight. Having this network is so great, seeing them invest time in me and helping me, I had no way of saying no. I'm here getting their help on everything."
Dern, who began her MMA career back in late summer 2016, has established an impressive 7-0 record to date. Despite her undefeated run, Dern has worryingly failed to make weight on three separate occasions.
"Everyone here agrees I have a body type that fits at Strawweight, in the category thag I am, so the plan is to continue in it. But we want to diet and train so that I do not have to cut so much weight. I'll cut very little. After the fight, I will not go up that much. Regardless of what will be decided with the weigh-in, whether or not it will return to the afternoon or not, it will not change my situation much, because, the way they want me to be the best possible athlete, it will be a very quiet thing."
It's clear to see that the UFC marketing machine has big plans for Dern, understandable with her fluency in English and Portuguese, and her marketability to the South American audience with her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background.
"Fighting twice in a short time period was one of the factors, but there were really a lot of things. I'm learning here every day, every day I learn something different from my body that I did not even know, things that get in the way of my cut, that I had difficulty due to the way I cut. Now that I am working with the UFC, I am going to come back here every four weeks, take tbe tests to see how my body is reacting. But otherwise my workout will continue normal."
The state of the art facility in Las Vegas offers huge technological advances and innovations to fighters with a full size octagon with 360° analysing cameras and a under water treadmill, utilised by former Lightweight champion Conor McGregor in the build up to his August 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Other stars such as Francis Ngannou and now Dern have used the Performance Institute to further develop their still young MMA careers.
Dern, who only competed as recent as May, is already plotting another trip to the octagon but is yet to finalise a deal with an opponent.
"I wanted to fight in New York, I have no idea of an opponent."
Check out my article on possible opponents for Mackenzie's octagon return here: https://rossmarkey.blogspot.com/2018/05/whats-next-for-mackenzie-dern.html?m=1
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