Legacy FC inks world-champion grappler Mackenzie Dern for July MMA debut

Mackenzie Dern

One of the world’s top female grapplers is slated for an upcoming MMA debut.

Legacy FC has inked Mackenzie Dern, a world champion Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, promoter/owner Mick Maynard today told MMAjunkie. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

According to Maynard, Dern’s professional and promotional debut is slated for July 22 in Dallas, and it’ll come in the 115-pound strawweight division. The currently unannounced event airs on AXS TV, and Dern is expected to be part of the broadcast.

An opponent hasn’t been finalized.

Dern has won world titles at the 2015 ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship (132 pounds) and the 2015 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship (130 pounds), among other accomplishments. The daughter of two black belts, including father Wellington “Megaton” Dias (who awarded Dern her belt three years ago), the 22-year-old began training as a kid and was competing in the adult divisions of tournaments in her early teens.

The Arizona native, who announced a planned move to MMA in late 2015, is currently training with The MMA Lab, which is home to the likes of Benson Henderson, Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger, Efrain Escudero, Bryan Barberena and others.

For more on Legacy FC’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.