Mackenzie Dern Improves To 5-0 With Submission At Invicta FC 26

Mackenzie Dern Improves To 5-0 With Submission At Invicta FC 26

MMA prospect and Brazilian jiu-jitsu star Mackenzie Dern improved to 5-0 in her pro MMA career at Invicta FC 26. Here's what happened.

Dec 9, 2017 by Hunter Homistek
Mackenzie Dern Improves To 5-0 With Submission At Invicta FC 26

Mega MMA prospect and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) star Mackenzie Dern improved to 5-0 in her young professional MMA career Friday at Invicta FC 26. 

The 24-year-old Invicta FC debutant Dern defeated Kaline Medeiros via submission in the night's co-main event. 

Lauded for her grappling skills, Dern instead showed off an improved standup game throughout the fight, rocking Medeiros with an overhand shot in Round 1 and shifting the momentum of the opening frame and, ultimately, of the fight as a whole. 


After that strike, Dern took over, pressuring her foe and dictating the pace with kicks and overhand power shots. 

Much to the delight of BJJ fans, the fight hit the canvas late in Round 2, and Dern immediately fished for a leg before transitioning to the mount. From there, Dern rained down ground-and-pound, forcing Medeiros to give up her back. 

The finish would not come just yet, however, as the bell halted the action and sent both women back to their stools to prepare for Round 3.  

Early in Round 3, Medeiros dumped Dern after catching a kick, but she could not capitalize on the moment. Dern popped back to her feet, and more of the same ensued. Medeiros couldn't get going, and Dern appeared a step ahead in all facets of the game. 

Another late takedown sealed things for Dern, who finished the fight with a slick armbar from mount as the round came to a close. A unanimous decision was likely on the way, but Dern left no questions as she took home Medeiros' arm instead. 

Gif wizard Zombie Prophet captured the action. 


The finish marks The MMA Lab product's third submission victory in five pro fights. 

Prior to her win over Medeiros, Dern competed for Legacy FC and Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA), notching two submissions and two decisions to kickstart her MMA career. 

Among those finishes was a ridiculous Imanari choke in her second fight, a submission which earned mainstream coverage and a nomination for Submission of the Year at the 2016 Fighter's Only World MMA Awards. 



An ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship gold medalist and no-gi worlds champion, Dern is unquestionably one of the best grapplers competing in MMA today. With her win over Medeiros, however, Dern once again showed improvements in her standup game, pointing to a bright future for the budding superstar inside the cage.