Is Mackenzie Dern still married? Everything you need to know after her separation from husband in 2022
UFC women's strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern is one of the most exciting grappling savants on the UFC's roster and is set to face Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 101 on Jan. 11. Dern shares glimpses of her personal life through social media. However, there is a lot of intrigue among fight fans about her current marital status, especially after the highly publicized divorce in 2023.
Is Mackenzie Dern still married?
Mackenzie Dern is currently not married to anyone. The 31-year-old was married to Wesley Santos, a professional surfer, for several years before she announced their split in 2023. The couple also share a daughter named Moa, born in June 2019.
Dern announced the split with her husband via social media, stating that the couple remains on good terms and is committed to raising their daughter well.
Mackenzie Dern is single. https://t.co/9tVzuXwLIf
Dern was in the early stages of her divorce when she entered the octagon against Yan Xiaonan at UFC Vegas 61 in October 2022. The Brazilian lost the fight via majority decision after delivering a performance undoubtedly affected by the mental duress of going through a divorce proceeding.
However, she bounced back and got into the win column against Angela Hill at UFC Vegas 73. At a media day interview heading into the fight, Mackenzie Dern told MMA Junkie and other reporters how her divorce had motivated her to fight harder, saying:
"I feel like so many things are trying to bring me down, like changing managers, the divorce, the gym... I’m coming with a lot of aggression from my personal life and everything. Nothing personal against Angela, I have a lot of respect for her, but I need to get it done.”
"I feel like so many things are trying to bring me down: I changed managers, the divorce, the gym."
Mackenzie Dern opens up on a "crazy" camp before #UFCVegas73.
Full interview: bit.ly/45bK8QY https://t.co/2n1V0yqu5R
Mackenzie Dern revealed the disturbing details of her divorce
Although Mackenzie Dern had initially announced that she was on good terms with her ex-husband following the split, the details that surfaced later included allegations of domestic violence and abuse claims. Speaking on The MMA Hour before her fight against Angela Hill, Dern opened up about the tumultuous phase of her relationship with her ex-husband. She explained:
“I stayed in my relationship because I believed in the family, and I believe that that’s what God wanted and stuff. But there’s a certain point where you try, try, and try, and things don’t change, and it just keeps getting worse and worse. And then, like I was saying, I wasn’t even able to defend myself. ... Like, police were getting called to the house. It was just getting out of control, and going through that in front of your daughter, you don’t want your daughter to witness that.”
Watch Mackenzie Dern explain the situation in the video below:
After her divorce, Dern seems to have moved on in her personal life as well. She went public with her relationship with fellow MMA fighter Antonio Trocoli in early 2024.