ABU DHABI – Manager Danny Rubenstein sees big things for Mackenzie Dern in 2021.
The 27-year-old jiu-jitsu ace has recently come into her own, having bounced back from her first pro loss with three straight wins – two by way of first-round submission.
Dern (10-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) will look to continue her momentum when she faces Nina Ansaroff at UFC Fight Night on April 10, and Rubenstein thinks a win should place her in the upper echelon of the division.
“If it was me, I’d have her fight Nina and win and then maybe Tatiana (Suarez), if she’s healthy,” Rubenstein told MMA Junkie. “I think that’s a great style matchup that a lot of people want to see. Then (if) she beats Tatiana, I think she’s next in line for a title shot.”
Considering her grappling accolades, the expectations for Dern’s MMA career have always been high. Though she started off strong, Dern eventually suffered her first career loss to Amanda Ribas in 2019.
But after taking some time off due to the birth of her child, Dern reinvented herself, most notably with the addition of striking coach Jason Parillo to her team. It’s a move that Rubenstein thinks paid dividends.
“I think the pairing with Parillo has been great,” Rubenstein said. “Obviously her dad’s doing her jiu-jitsu and she’s got a wrestling coach. I really think she’s becoming a complete fighter and I think we’ll see how good she really is against Nina in April.”
He added, “I think you’ve seen a huge improvement in her striking and in her standup. She’s more confident, she’s more comfortable – obviously, her bread and butter is her ground game. I think after her fight with Virna (Jandiroba), she was very, ‘Oh, was it a good fight, did I do a good job?’ The thing about Mackenzie, her name almost rushed her to get to where she is. A normal fighter would have been allowed to grow a little bit more, there’s not a spotlight on them, they can just fight, learn how to fight, get the wins they need to get in the UFC.”
Manager maps out Mackenzie Dern’s route to UFC strawweight title shot
