'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mackenzie Dern has failed to make weight multiple times throughout her young MMA career. After joining the UFC in 2018 as a strawweight contender, Dern missed weight only in her second fight in the promotion.
The 27-year-old was set to face Amanda Cooper at UFC 224, but she exceeded the weight limit by a massive seven pounds. After hitting the scales, Dern weighed in at 123 pounds. Although she forfeited a hefty amount of her fight purse, Dern had something to cheer about as she dominantly submitted Cooper in the first round.
In 2017, Mackenzie Dern moved up a weight class to compete in the flyweight division. However, she switched back to strawweight a few months before making her UFC debut.
Following her horrendous weight cut at UFC 224, Dern stated that she was ashamed of how things played out for her, and assured that she will never miss weight again.
"I’m ashamed of that. I don’t want that to happen again... I think I need to get my diet right and the fact I was able to do it before, I thought I knew what I was doing. A lot of things have been happening. It’s not an excuse, missed flights and a lot of things happened and I just kept going and going," said Dern at the post-fight press conference.
History of Mackenzie Dern's weight cut failures outside of the UFC
Mackenzie Dern didn't miss weight for the first time at UFC 224. The Brazilian-American had experienced that fiasco twice before she joined the promotion.
In her second professional MMA fight against Montana De La Rosa at Legacy FC 61, Dern failed to hit the strawweight mark by 2.8 pounds. However, she defeated her opponent via submission in the first round. Dern missed weight once again in her next fight when she fought Katherine Roy at LFA 6.
In her last four UFC fights, Mackenzie Dern has successfully made weight. She is currently riding a three-fight win streak, having defeated Virna Jandiroba in her last outing at UFC 256.
Dern is expected to return to the octagon on April 10 opposite Nina Ansaroff who is currently ranked No.5 in the UFC strawweight division.
