Why Mackenzie Dern Sees Herself in Charles Oliveira: “Battle-tested, ready for whatever comes”

UFC star Mackenzie Dern has compared herself to the journey and rise of the great Charles Oliveira.

This weekend, Mackenzie Dern will attempt to finally claim a world title when she battles Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC strawweight championship. It’s a shot that she’s been waiting for, and now, she’s finally ready to go out there and prove that she deserves to have gold wrapped around her waist.

Of course, it isn’t going to be easy, but that’s somewhat the story of Mackenzie Dern’s mixed martial arts career thus far. While she has always been viewed as someone who can go a long way in the sport, she’s also faced her fair share of ups and downs, to the point where some questioned whether or not she’d even get to a title opportunity.

Alas, Mackenzie Dern has finally arrived, and she isn’t going to stop until she finally achieves the goal she set out for herself all those years ago. Ahead of the rematch against Jandiroba, Dern actually compared her attitude and mentality to that of former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

Mackenzie Dern compares her journey to Charles Oliveira

“I see myself similar to Charles ‘Do Bronx’ Oliveira. People saw he had so much potential, but it took him time, ups and downs, to reach the top. When he became champion, you could see he had light inside him. That’s how I feel now — battle-tested, ready for whatever comes.”

Oliveira has obviously carved out his own path to the top and when it comes to Dern, she has a long way to go before being dubbed a legend in the world of women’s mixed martial arts. Still, at the age of 32, many would argue she’s about to enter her prime years, so it’ll be interesting to see how she tries to build on that.