Mackenzie Dern is an American professional mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner. She is currently ranked 5th in the strawweight division of UFC women’s ranking.
Read the article to know Dern’s net worth, salary, earnings, husband, age, and other related information.
Mackenzie Dern’s Net Worth Details
Mackenzie Dern’s net worth is estimated to be $1 million as of 2025. She has earned around $900,000 from her professional mixed martial arts career.
On average, the martial artist earns $70,000 as a guaranteed payment from each bout. Below is a list of her earnings from recent fights –
| Event | Guaranteed Purse | Win Bonus | Other Bonus | Endorsement | Total |
| UFC 273 | $60,000 | – | – | $5,000 | $64,000 |
| UFC Fight Night: Dern vs Rodriguez | $70,000 | – | $50,000 | $6,000 | $126,000 |
| UFC Fight Night: Vettori vs Holland | $54,000 | $54,000 | $50,000 | $6,000 | $164,000 |
| UFC 256 | $52,000 | $52,000 | – | $5,000 | $109,000 |
| UFC Fight Night: Covington vs Woodley | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $4,000 | $154,000 |
| UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs Burns | $33,000 | $33,000 | $50,000 | $4,000 | $120,000 |
Dern’s Endorsements
Thanks to her successful and long-running martial arts and BJJ careers, Dern has collected a list of endorsement deals that have earned her extra annual income.
Her current sponsors are War Tribe, Zebra, Damage Control, My Protein, Dopamine, Hayabusa, and KillCliff. She is currently being promoted via Betmotion.
About Mackenzie Dern
| Full Name | Mackenzie Lynne Dern Santos |
| Nickname | Mackenzie Dern |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Arts |
| Professional Debut | 2016 |
| Date of Birth | 24 March 1993 |
| Place of Birth | Phoenix, Arizona, USA |
| Age | 29 |
| Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
| Weight | 115 lb (52 kg) |
| Net Worth | $1 million |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Father’s Name | Wellington Dias |
| Mother’s Name | Luciana Travers Dias |
| Salary | $70,000 |
| Twitter Handle | @MackenzieDern |
| Instagram Handle | @mackenziedern |
At 3, Dern began practicing martial arts with her parents. By age 14, She was skillful enough to compete in the adult division.
Mackenzie maintained a balanced relationship between her mother and father when her parents divorced in 1996.
Professional Career
Dern made her professional mixed martial arts debut under the Legacy Fighting Alliance. She won her debut match at Legacy FC 58 via unanimous decision.
She fought in the LFA campaigns until October 2017. During that period, she had four fights and won all of them successfully.
On December 8, 2017, Mackenzie Dern participated in the Invincia FC 26 event.
There, she faced Kaline Medeiros and won by a unanimous decision. Following this, she shifted to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Dern first joined the UFC via a promotional match. At UFC 222, she faced Ashley Yoder and won the bout via split decision.
She faced her career’s first loss during her third start at the discipline. In 2019, she lost a fight against Amanda Ribas via unanimous decision.
Dern has a record of 12 wins and 2 losses from 14 professional bouts. Before joining professional mixed martial arts, she mostly competed in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events and competitions.
Dern has a record of 75 wins, 25 losses, and a draw from 101 matches. She is a former first-ranked IBJJF competitor.
She is currently ranked 6th in the female division. Dern will face Yan Xiaonan in the upcoming UFC Fight Night 211.
Husband
Dern is married to Wesley Santos, a professional surfer. The pair welcomed their firstborn daughter in 2019. During that period, Dern had to put her career on hold.
Career Stats
Career Achievement
| Achievement | Medal | Year |
| World Jiu-Jitsu Championship | Gold | 2015 |
| Nogi World Jiu-Jitsu Champion | Gold | 2014, 2015 |
| Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship | Gold | 2015 |
| Asian Open Championship | Gold | 2014. 2015 |
| World Cup | Gold | 2015 |
UFC Career Overview
| Category | Win | Loss |
| Submission | 7 | |
| Division | 5 | 2 |
| Draw | 2 | |
UFC Career Stats: 2022 YTD
| Category | Stats |
| Significant Strikes Landed per Minute | 3.16 |
| Significant Striking Accuracy | 35% |
| Significant Strikes Absorbed per Minute | 4.35 |
| Significant Strike Defense | 54% |
| Avg Takedowns Landed per 15min | 0.46 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 9% |
| Takedown Defense | 40% |
| Avg Submissions Attempted per 15min | 2.0 |
FAQs
1. Who is Mackenzie Dern?
Mackenzie Dern is an American-Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) practitioner. She competes in the UFC’s Strawweight division and is a former ADCC and IBJJF World Champion. As of February 2025, she is ranked #6 in the UFC women’s strawweight rankings.
2. What are Mackenzie Dern’s major achievements in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Mackenzie Dern has won numerous titles, including the ADCC Championship (2015), IBJJF World Championships (2015, 2016), and Pan American Championships (2015, 2016). She is also the only female BJJ competitor to win gold at all five major IBJJF Gi Championships.
3. What is Mackenzie Dern’s MMA record?
Mackenzie Dern’s professional MMA record stands at 15 wins and 5 losses. Of her victories, eight have come via submission. She made her MMA debut in 2016 and joined the UFC in 2018.
4. Where was Mackenzie Dern born, and what is her background?
Mackenzie Dern was born on March 24, 1993, in Phoenix, Arizona. She is the daughter of Wellington “Megaton” Dias, a renowned BJJ practitioner, and carries both American and Brazilian heritage. She grew up bilingual in English and Portuguese.
5. Why does Mackenzie Dern have a Portuguese accent?
Despite being born in the U.S., Mackenzie Dern spent significant time in Brazil with her Brazilian father and stepmother. Portuguese became her primary language due to her upbringing and daily interactions with Brazilians.
6. Is Mackenzie Dern married?
Mackenzie Dern was previously married to Wesley Santos, a professional surfer. They divorced in 2023 but share a daughter named Moa, born in June 2019. As of now, she is not married.
7. What are Mackenzie Dern’s strengths as a fighter?
Mackenzie Dern is known for her elite grappling skills and submission abilities, rooted in her BJJ background. Her striking has improved over time, but her ground game remains her strongest asset.
8. How tall is Mackenzie Dern, and what is her reach?
Mackenzie Dern stands 5’4″ (163 cm) tall with a reach of 63 inches (160 cm). She competes in the Strawweight division (115 lbs).
9. What challenges has Mackenzie Dern faced in her career?
Dern has faced challenges such as missing weight early in her MMA career and balancing personal struggles like divorce while competing. Despite setbacks, she remains one of the top-ranked fighters in the UFC Strawweight division.
10. What are Mackenzie Dern’s future goals?
Mackenzie Dern’s primary goal is to become a UFC champion. Despite focusing on MMA, she continues to represent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and aims to inspire others through her achievements in both sports.
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