Mackenzie Dern reveals who she wants to fight for the UFC women's strawweight belt between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili
Mackenzie Dern wants to fight for the women's strawweight title next if she gets past Marina Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 39 this weekend. If she wins, Dern is likely to fight the winner of the upcoming rematch between Rose Namajunas and Zhang Weili at UFC 268.
Mackenzie Dern vs Marina Rodriguez!
Who takes our #UFCVegas39 main event tonight? https://t.co/9ZbWYxqQWU
According to Mackenzie Dern, she'd have intriguing battles with either 'Thug Rose' or Weili in a potential title fight. Both Namajunas and Zhang have certain holes in their game which Dern hopes she can exploit.
After fighting Rodriguez on Saturday, Mackenzie Dern thinks she'll have a better idea of who she wants to fight for the title between Zhang and Namajunas. Regardless, Dern confirmed she will definitely call for the title fight if she wins at UFC Vegas 39, Speaking to TMZ Sports, Dern said:
"For sure we'll call for that belt after this fight so it's really very important. I think this fight will tell me how I'd do with them. Marina is longer than me, she's a little bit similar to Rose, she's a little bit taller and has her kicks and punches, heavy hitting, things like that. They both have some ground game. I think it's always harder, you know, as a grappler, I prefer to fight someone like Marina who is more like, total striking and very little ground game than the people who know what they are doing. I think Zhang Weili, she has a judo background with a good base, is a little bit harder to take down. Even when they are taken down, they kind of know what they are doing. Rose too, she does flying armbars and things like that so definitely I'm confident on ground against anybody but I think how I do with Marina will tell me maybe I prefer to fight someone a little bit shorter like Zhang Weili, I don't know. I do the closing the distance with someone like Rose but yeah I am prepared to fight both."
Mackenzie Dern is currently one of the best female strawweights on the planet
Mackenzie Dern is currently ranked No.4 in the women's strawweight division and sits at No.12 in the women's pound-for-pound list. Dern has an almost perfect 11-1 record as a professional fighter and is on an impressive four-fight win streak heading into the fight against Rodriguez.
"Now I think the girls are respecting my striking - or at least thinking about it a little bit more - and that opens way more opportunities for me to really let go on my jiu-jitsu.”
@MackenzieDern talks her evolution as a fighter ahead of her first main event at #UFCVegas39
Dern has won six out of seven fights inside the octagon. In her last fight, she defeated Nina Nunes via submission in the first-round.