"Didn’t see this one coming" - Fans react as Mackenzie Dern is set to make return to ADCC in new 55kg division

Mackenzie Dern is returning to her roots in the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world.

Just over one month since last appearing in the UFC octagon, the Abu Dhabi Combat Club — better known as ADCC — announced Dern's return to the promotion for the 2024 World Championships. The highly-respected grappling tournament is expected to take place on August 17 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In their announcement, the ADCC reported that Dern would compete in their new 55-kilogram weight division, equating to roughly 121 pounds.

The announcement understandably took fans aback, as Dern has not competed in competitive grappling since 2017. However, the Brazilian has won multiple world championships before transitioning to MMA and is widely considered to be among the most influential female athletes in the sport's history.

Reacting to the news, one fan claimed he 'didn't see it coming' but was excited to see how the former champion fared against the next generation.

The comment read:

"Didn't see this one coming. Gonna be fun to see how she does with today's elite"

Fan reacting to Mackenzie Dern's return to grappling [Photo Courtesy @adcc_official on Instagram]

Should Dern make it to the event, it would mark her first time competing in Brazilian jiu-jitsu since signing with the UFC. Per BJJ Heroes, Dern is a six-time world champion primarily with IBJJF but has yet to claim the title in ADCC.

Other fans commented:

"The best is back!"

"Woah now that's an amazing addition"

"ADCC changed a lot since Mackenzie was champion, excited to see what's coming"

View more fan reactions to Mackenzie Dern's grappling return below:

Fans reacting to ADCC announcing Mackenzie Dern's return to Brazilian jiu-jitsu [Photo Courtesy @adcc_official on Instagram]

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Mackenzie Dern's Brazilian jiu-jitsu accomplishments

The main factor behind Mackenzie Dern's hype when signing with the UFC was her accomplished grappling background, and the former grappling champion will return to her original sport in 2024.

Dern, who is often credited as one of the best female grapplers of the 2010s, has won six world championships, including:

2015 IBJJF World Championships

2015 IBJJF World Championships No-Gi

2015 - FIVE Super League Championships

2015-2016 IBJJF Pan-American Championships

2015-2016 IBJJF European Open

On the day of the event, Dern is expected to weigh 55 kilograms but has completed a large portion of her career to this point at absolute.