Athletes
Mackenzie Dern: The Stars Are Aligning
Strawweight Believes Taking A Short Notice Bout Against Amanda Lemos Is The Perfect Way To Get Things Back On Track
Mackenzie Dern was in the crowd the night Amanda Lemos got her title shot against Zhang Weili at UFC 292 in Boston. Zhang put on a dominant performance over Lemos, out striking her opponent 296-29. Being able to witness that fight, gave Dern confidence heading into her short notice fight against Lemos at UFC 298 in Anaheim.
“I did see on the ground that Zhang really was grappling her, and that's a good opening for me,” Dern said. “Even Jessica (Andrade) submitted Amanda standing up, so we definitely see that there's an opportunity for the grappling against Amanda. That's how we're going to go in. I'm not really caring how I'm going to look. It's kill or be killed right now.”
UFC 298 Full Fight Card Preview
Dern steps in for Tatiana Suarez, who had to withdraw from the fight due to an injury. The 30-year-old is looking to bounce back from a second-round TKO loss against Jessica Andrade last November in Madison Square Garden. Not to mention, this fight at the Honda Center in Anaheim is right in Dern’s backyard and she couldn’t pass up that opportunity.
“Fighting at home definitely has a different vibe to it,” Dern said. “It's kind of like back in the beginning when you're doing your first pro fights, and you just go from the house straight to the event. I'm going to be staying at the hotel, but it definitely feels good to feel like I'm representing.”
When Dern first found out about the card in Anaheim, she got excited thinking about potentially being on it, but after her loss in New York, it was a quick turnaround for her, especially with the holidays being thrown in the mix, and she didn’t expect that she would be on it.
But when she got the call to step in for Suarez, things immediately changed for Dern, and as someone that is often an overthinker and perfectionist, jumping right into training for a fight allowed her to trust the process and journey.
How To Watch UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria In Your Country
“I knew that Amanda Lemos was already scheduled to fight and was supposed to fight a wrestler, Tatiana Suarez, so I knew it was going to be a tough one, but definitely the fact that I was in Anaheim, I had to just go from 0 to 100 and trust the process and do my best,” Dern said. “I feel like I'm the most prepared I've ever been for a fight, actually.”
Mackenzie Dern | Submission Showcase
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Mackenzie Dern | Submission Showcase
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Prior to her fight against Zhang, Brazil’s Lemos had earned back-to-back wins over Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. She bounced back after being submitted by former champion Andrade, which put her on a path to the title. Even though she lost, Dern believes that having faced Andrade in her last fight will play to her advantage this weekend.
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“I think the best part is that Jessica and Amanda, they're both hard hitters,” Dern said. “They have similar knockout power and they're both dangerous with the knockout, so it's really appealing for me to be able to correct the mistakes I made against Jessica. I know that my style is just pressure, pressure, pressure, and like a Khabib (Nurmagomedov) style, going forward. It was good for learning. I realized I need to be who I am and that's pressuring.”
Currently, Lemos sits at number four in the strawweight division, while Dern is at number seven. Defeating someone that recently fought for the belt and is above her in the rankings would be a good start to Dern’s 2024 campaign. She believes that everything is falling into place.
“Just getting the opportunity in less than three months to be able to recover a defeat and against a similar opponent who has the openings for the grappling and who is ahead of me in the rankings, it was a perfect opportunity at home. It was really hard for me to say no.”
UFC 298: Volkanovski vs Topuria took place live from Honda Center in Anaheim, California on February 17, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
