August 5, 2026:

Published
Mackenzie Dern‘s UFC champion, but she hasn’t come close to accomplishing all her goals … ’cause the MMA star says she wants to be the greatest ever in her division!
The strawweight champ stopped by the TMZ Sports office for a chat with Babcock ahead of her UFC 330 scrap with Gillian Robertson.
Dern made it clear she’s aiming way higher than just a successful title defense.
“Besides winning the belt, I think Hall of Fame [is a goal]. I would like to try and get there in some way, you know?” Mackenzie said.
“Just be impactful enough that I can make it to the Hall of Fame, feel like I made my mark in MMA. And just have the records like most submissions, most wins, things like that.”
How about greatest ever at 115 pounds??
“Yeah, that would be amazing. Yes, yes.”
There’s a bunch more with Dern.
How has life changed since she beat Virna Jandiroba for the belt?

“[Life has] changed completely. I mean, the confidence you have just living life, going into training, everything is like I feel like it’s next level. Obviously, opportunities have come up and you got to say no to some of them ’cause then it’s hard to train,” MD explained.
“I definitely had to say no to a lot of stuff. Movie opportunities, a lot of trips. You’re trying to do the most you can that doesn’t physically hurt you.”
Of course, those opportunities can disappear fast if an athlete doesn’t keep winning … and that’s why Dern is laser-focused on Robertson, who has the most submission wins of any UFC fighter in history.
Check out the full interview with the UFC star … and watch her defend her title August 15 on Paramount+!