LAS VEGAS – In a world in which everyone is chomping at the bit for a UFC title opportunity, Mackenzie Dern is taking her time.
Following her UFC Fight Night 249 win Saturday, Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) reaffirmed what she’d said pre-fight. She thinks another fight should come before a title opportunity.
“I think I’m very hard on myself,” Dern told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “I’m always trying to get better. Even when I have a great performance, I think I did so many things wrong. I think that it’s a lot of play messing in your head, so it can take your journey and maybe make it a little longer.
“But I think in the end, it really helps you evolve to be the best fighter possible if you can really look back and have constructive criticism on yourself. My idea isn’t to go fight for the belt and then lose it fast. My idea is to get the belt, and I want to be a dominant champion. I’m not in a rush to get there. I want to have good fights and I want to make a statement.”
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Dern submitted Amanda Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Round 3 of the card’s main event. With champion Zhang Weili set to square off with Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in February, Virna Jandiroba is the only other contender in the public discourse as to who could be the following title challenger.
Regardless of if her next opponent is Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3) or someone else, Dern said improvement is the name of the game. Saturday’s fight-ending armbar made her proud of her advancements.
“I feel like the striking and everything is setting up more of my jiu-jitsu,” Dern said. “I feel like when I get a submission, it’s not because I was focusing on being a striker. But I think it means my striking and my takedowns are getting better. It’s giving me more opportunities to still get the fight to the ground.
“I’m always trying to get the fight to the ground. Every fight, I’m trying to get the fight to the ground. I think it just kind of shows more that the other areas are getting better when I get the submission.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 249.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Mackenzie Dern explains why she’s in no rush for title – even after UFC Fight Night 249 win
