Back in familiar territory, Mackenzie Dern recalls David vs. Goliath win that changed everything

Jiu-jitsu legend Mackenzie Dern is ready to face Loopy Godinez this Saturday at UFC Abu Dhabi, and she feels at home competing at the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Dern made a name for herself collecting gold medals in jiu-jitsu before transitioning to MMA in 2016, and the victory that brought her biggest jiu-jitsu spotlight onto her took place in 2015 in Abu Dhabi, when she defeated the much heavier Gabi Garcia en route to capturing the absolute title at the Abu Dhabi World Pro.

“I have so much love for Abu Dhabi and the people here, the sheik, and their support for jiu-jitsu and fight itself,” Dern told MMA Fighting. “They’ve been investing so much in the sport for so long. The vibe I feel being back here is so good, I’m feeling 100 percent that the win will come Saturday.”

Dern defeated Michelle Nicolini and Vanessa Oliveira to win double gold at the 2015 World Pro, but it was her hard-fought absolute semifinal win over Garcia that changed everything in her career.

“If that hadn’t happen, maybe I wouldn’t have taken the next step of coming to MMA and everything else,” Dern said. “It’s crazy the steps we take in life, and now I’m back here. I believe it’s going to be another incredible moment here.”

Grappling promotion ADXC will hold an event Friday featuring the likes of Urijah Faber, Bibiano Fernandes, and Chad Mendes in no-gi matches, and Dern said she’s in talks for a potential match on Oct. 25, the night before UFC 308 lands in Abu Dhabi. Her father, jiu-jitsu legend Megaton Dias, could also be on the card.

For now, she’s focused on beating Godinez at UFC Abu Dhabi to snap a two-fight losing skid at the hands of Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos, and feels more motivated having her daughter Moa with her during fight week.

“I joke that I lost those fights and Moa wasn’t there watching me fight, so she’s here in Abu Dhabi with me,” said Dern. “I came here two weeks early and I’m feeling at home. It calms down my heart a bit, and that’s something I’ve been working on more because sometimes I go in too emotional and turn the fight into a brawl after the first punch lands, and sometimes that’s unnecessary. The fight can be 10 times easier for me if I stay calm.”

“I know it won’t be an easy fight, not at all, but I just fought Amanda Lemos, Jessica Andrade, Amanda Hill, who also beat Loopy,” she continued. “I’ve fought a former champion, former contenders. Loopy is very tough, but I don’t know if she’s fought opponents like that, you know? I believe Loopy has to evolve in some areas to win this fight, but I’ve been evolving as well.”