As a multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Mackenzie Dern possesses some of the nastiest grappling skills in the entire sport of mixed martial arts.
So it’s safe to say the 29-year-old UFC strawweight has a more than valid opinion when it comes to rating the best submission specialists in the sport. When asked to name the fighter with the best jiu-jitsu in the UFC, Dern didn’t hesitate to single out top-ranked lightweight Charles Oliveira while praising the way he’s adapted his grappling game specifically for MMA.
“In my opinion the best jiu-jitsu in the UFC is Charles ‘Do Bronx.'” Dern explained on The Fighter vs. The Writer. “Because of his jiu-jitsu in MMA. In jiu-jitsu, he wasn’t a black belt world champion or ADCC world champion or anything so it wasn’t like in the jiu-jitsu world he’s the most famous guy in jiu-jitsu but in MMA, for me, he has the best jiu-jitsu in MMA.
has the most submissions and knows how to use his back to win. knows how you can play on top. If you want to know the best jiu-jitsu in MMA, Charles ‘Do Bronx.'”
Now Dern will give credit to another Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner from her days growing up on the tournament circuit where she was constantly engaged in one grappling competition or another.
” “The greatest jiu jitsu fighter that is currently in UFC, that’s difficult but ‘Durinho’Gilbert Burns’ for sure,” Dern stated. People stopped to see him compete in jiu jitsu when he was still with us. ADCC is a world champion and he can do it in MMA. He strikes jiu jitsu, is not afraid to get punched, and has all his takedowns.
” I think ‘Durinho is the highest-ranking jiujitsu man in MMA right now, but Charles ‘Do Bronx .'”
is the best jiujitsu fighter for MMA.
It’s difficult to disagree with Dern when you look at Oliveira’s ridiculous resume, particularly in the recent years.
He holds the record for most submissions in UFC history with 16, he’s second for most submission attempts behind only Jim Miller and he’s one of only two fighters in the UFC along with Frank Mir to ever pull off submissions using six different techniques (rear-naked choke, guillotine choke, anaconda choke, armbar, triangle choke, triangle armbar).
Oliveira has even managed to elevate his game during a current 11-fight win streak with seven submissions along the way including two victories in title fights. He’s also currently ranked as the best lightweight in the world according to the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
“He has definitely grown as a fighter,” Dern stated about Oliveira. “He’s been almost 10 years in the UFC. You can definitely tell he’s really hit this maturity as a fighter, intelligent, confident, strategic, it’s all kind of connected now. He’s gotten to be the black belt in MMA.
“Always as we’re going up in belt — white belt, blue belt, purple belt — sometimes we’re good at our guard game and then we start working on our passing game maybe at purple belt and then at brown belt we’re working a lot of submissions. We’re capable of being good at all things by the time that we reach black belt and I believe that’s his true talent. He won’t lose the belt .”
As she moves forward with her own career and a main event fight booked against Yan Xiaonan on Oct. 1, Dern admits that she’s been inspired by Oliveira in many ways.
She explains that it’s not just because he’s got the deadliest submission arsenal in the sport but largely thanks to the perseverance that helped to transform him from being a mid-tier talent to the best lightweight in the world.
“[It took] 10 years [for him] to get to this point — now he’s there. He’s the best in the world,” Dern said. “There’s no doubt about it. Even just his story, his journey, it’s definitely inspiring for me. Be calm, take your time, each fight learn. Sometimes Charles he gets rocked a little bit and he pulls guard. That’s something that I’m learning to play smart. Okay, I’m not going to lie down if you get rocked. You can pull guard. You can pull guard.
“All that’s time and experience you get. 100 Percent, Charles “Do Bronx .'”
” can inspire me and connect with me.
