Mackenzie Dern talks transition to MMA: 'I Feel Like A White Belt'

Mackenzie Dern announced late last year that she will be embarking on an MMA career. Dern has since joined the decorated ranks of the MMA Lab in Glendale, Arizona alongside former UFC Champion and current Bellator fighter Benson Henderson and begun her training. We caught up with Mackenzie Dern at the European Championships to see how things were going thus far.

"I feel like a white belt again. I'm still learning how not to be scared of getting punched, to handle it. Also to not just be getting punched all the time, you know trying to moving my head. It's going really good, I'm having fun. My MMA training is helping my jiu-jitsu. I feel since I've started my jiu-jitsu has gotten tighter. The timing. And then my jiu-jitsu is helping my MMA training. I train at the MMA lab, with two UFC girls, Lauren Murphy and Jocelyn (Jones-Lybarger) they are both in the UFC and they help me and push me. It's awesome.

"I'm working a lot on my striking and then to get to the clinch. How to get to the ground, not just take some punches and go. How to get it in. But even when I do jiu-jitsu I'm so used to passing with grips on the pants."

My jiu-jitsu game isn't the best game for MMA. To go for toeholds, the girls in MMA are so flexible, they have good scrambles. I'm working my jiu-jitsu for MMA. Working half-guard and staying lower and tighter. I don't have grips anymore. I'm just trying to transition my jiu-jitsu for MMA.