'%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 is one of the most decorated straw-weights today. With a record of 7-1, which includes wins over The Ultimate Fighter finalist, Amanda Cooper, she had a lot of hype around her. However, entering this weekend's fight against Hannah Cifers Dern has a lot on the line.
In her previous fight at UFC Fight Night 161, Mackenzie Dern lost to rising fellow rising contender Amanda Ribas via unanimous decision. This was the first loss for Dern and became a fight that proved that she's not ready to face elite competition just yet.
Though Mackenzie Dern maintained optimism after the fight saying, “It only makes me hungrier to get back in there. You’re a bit worried when you’re undefeated, (thinking) ‘is this opponent a good fight for me,’ thinking about strategies and whatnot. And now, after you have your first loss, you just want to get in there and fight and take risks." But that doesn't mean a lot isn't on the line entering this fight.
Mackenzie Dern has to reinforce her credentials!
Mackenzie Dern was hyped as a prospect because of her record as a BJJ fighter. She was a multiple-time BJJ world champion and had also won the ADCC, considered as the Olympics of BJJ fighters.
She has even pulled off some amazing submissions in her fights and has thus despite multiple missed weight commanded the attention of MMA fans. However, when she lost to Amanda Ribas a massive chunk of the aura she had was lost. A fighter who was expected to be the next Ronda Rousey should not have lost to a rising prospect, right?
To regain it Mackenize Dern must secure a win over someone with as much experience as her and this is where her current opponent, Hannah Cifers enters. Cifers has a record of 2-2 in the UFC. Her only defeats whether in or out of the UFC have come to fighters with respectable records and skillset.
That means if Mackenzie Dern wants to regain her lost vibe Cifers is the perfect opponent to start with. A win over her alone by no means will regain everything for her but a loss could be disastorous. It would basically make every criticism thrown at her seem valid. This is an important fight for Makenzie Dern it should be fun to see how she deals with this pressure.
