Mackenzie Dern wants to be make history at UFC 273.
Meeting Tecia Torres will be the featured strawweight bout on Saturday’s main card at UFC 273. This is a crucial fight for Dern, who just lost to Marina Rodriguez in October and must win this fight if she hopes to keep her title contention. Dern doesn’t want to lose this weekend. Dern, the No. 5-ranked strawweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings wants to make a statement on Saturday by becoming the first person to finish Torres.
“100 percent. That’s definitely what I care about. I’m like, I want to be the first one. “I think it would be a huge statement if that’s possible because of the number of girls she has fought,” Dern said to Ariel Helwani, on The MMA Hour . “She fought ex-champions, former champions, she’s been the pioneer of the strawweight division, she’s fought so many girls and no one’s been able to finish her. If that happens, I believe that it’s a huge statement
Dern doesn’t want to stop there though. As one of the most accomplished grapplers to ever transition to MMA, the multiple-time BJJ world champion has her sights set on an even larger overall career goal: to wrest the title of “Most Submissions in UFC history” away from current lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.
“I want to catch up to Charles Do Bronx on submission, most submissions in the UFC,” Dern said. I know that he’s got a lot more years than me but that’s what my goal is, to leave a legacy in UFC and get that finish with Tecia
Oliveira, who has been competing in the UFC since 2010, currently holds the record for Most Submissions in UFC history with 15, four more than his next closest competitor. With only four submissions inside the UFC thus far, Dern has a long way to go to make up that ground. Even if Dern can’t match Torres in this fight, she is excited to have the chance to continue the title chase and take advantage of all the momentum that Torres has.
” I actually watched every fight and know most of her losses were to ex-champions so she is a strong fighter,” Dern stated. She is fast and has great volume. Her footwork is good as well. But, honestly, it seems like she didn’t care about the women she was beating. I think she just overwhelmed them and didn’t care and just kept overwhelming them and didn’t let them get the rhythm in the fight…
“I definitely thinking this confidence that she’s coming in with in her last fights is getting more and more. It’s like she’s saying, “I’m going to come forward and be the Tiny Tornado.” That’s what I want to fight. It’s my goal to face the fighter that will bring out the best in me, and help me reach the top. I’m so happy to be fighting her with this confidence that she has because I want to take it away from her.”
UFC 273 takes place this Saturday at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
