Mackenzie Dern Discusses Future WWE Aspirations and Challenges Ronda Rousey

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Mackenzie Dern has spent most of her career building a name in combat sports, but the UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion already has an idea of what she would like to try after MMA. Dern recently opened up about a possible WWE run and also revealed the UFC legend she would have liked to face in an exhibition.

Dern spoke with “Us Weekly” at the UFC 331 red carpet in Los Angeles on September 19. The 33-year-old was asked about the possibility of moving into professional wrestling after her fighting career, and she immediately brought up Nikki and Brie Bella, two of the most recognizable names from WWE’s women’s division.

The Bellas are among the wrestlers who helped Dern see a possible path into WWE. Rather than suggesting she wants to leave MMA anytime soon, Dern made it clear that wrestling would be something she could explore once she is finished competing.

“Oh yeah, that’d be fun. So much fun. I mean, the Bella [Twins]. It’s so cool. I’d be able to once I retire.”

Mackenzie also had another name in mind when discussing a possible crossover. Ronda Rousey spent much of her UFC career competing at bantamweight, while Dern has competed at 115 pounds, and Dern acknowledged that the difference in size would make a conventional matchup difficult.

Still, Dern said she would have loved the chance to share the cage with Rousey in a special exhibition.

“Ronda Rousey is a lot bigger, but it would have been amazing to do like an exhibition match with her.”

Rousey already went down a similar path after stepping away from MMA, joining WWE and becoming a Women’s Champion during her run with the company. Although she has since left WWE, her career remains an example of the opportunities that can open up for MMA fighters in professional wrestling.

Mackenzie Dern Is Still Focused on Her UFC Career

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 23: Mackenzie Dern is seen on stage during the UFC 321 press conference at Etihad Arena on October 23, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

For now, Mackenzie Dern has plenty keeping her occupied inside the Octagon. She won the UFC Strawweight Championship by defeating Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 in October 2025, then made her first title defense against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in August.

Dern controlled much of the five-round fight and earned a unanimous decision, with two judges scoring the bout 49-46 and the third 48-47 in her favor. The victory extended her winning streak to four fights and kept her at the top of the 115-pound division.

Her background also makes the idea of a wrestling transition easy to understand. Dern began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under her father, Wellington “Megaton” Dias, became a multiple-time world champion in the discipline and eventually moved into MMA, making her UFC debut in 2018.

A WWE run remains something for later in Dern’s career, but she has already made it clear that the idea appeals to her. For the foreseeable future, though, the strawweight championship remains the biggest part of her combat-sports career.

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Wrestling section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.