UFC star Mackenzie Dern has explained how she doesn’t lose motivation, even in the wake of big defeats.
On Saturday night, Mackenzie Dern faces the biggest night of her mixed martial arts career. She will go head to head with Virna Jandiroba in the co-main event of UFC 321 and if she wins, she will capture the vacant UFC strawweight championship in the wake of Zhang Weili vacating the title to pursue a superfight against Valentina Shevchenko.
Mackenzie Dern has always been a popular fighter in the sport but over the years, she has certainly faced her fair share of challenges. Despite that, she hasn’t allowed it to impact her ability to keep moving forward, which is how she’s been able to earn a shot at the gold.
In a recent interview, Mackenzie Dern opened up on her mentality when it comes to getting back on the horse after disappointments.
Mackenzie Dern explains how she doesn’t let losses impact her
It’s easy to get dismotivated and pushed aside in MMA, but I kept getting reminded of how long it took me in jiu-jitsu to reach black belt — I started at three, got my black belt at nineteen, and my world titles at twenty-two. That taught me that things take time. Even when I lost, I was still having good fights and getting fight of the night bonuses. You just have to keep growing.”
Dern has always been a talented fighter but if she can get through this challenge, she will cement her legacy by becoming a world champion at the elite level. It’s certainly no guarantee, though, and while she may have beaten Jandiroba in their first meeting, you can bet that she’ll be hungry for revenge – and she’ll be just as eager to finally call herself champ after a long journey to the top.
