Mackenzie Dern x Yan Xiaonan
Photo: Disclosure/Official Instagram UFC / Esporte News Mundo
Mackenzie Dern will have Jéssica Bate-Estaca as her rival at UFC 295, this Saturday (11), in New York. But the US-born Brazilian’s biggest struggle has been outside the octagon, as she deals with complications relating to her divorce.
Recently, the Ultimate fighter separated from Wesley Santos, father of her daughter Moa, and faced a battle in the courts to be able to not only officially end the relationship, but also for custody of her daughter. Something that was quite influential in her last fight, against Angela Hilla
– We always had problems. It’s the pressure. In the last one, I had to deal with divorce. It’s already finished, but you don’t know how much it generated. Literally, I’m still paying my ex with this fight. It’s crazy. I have to take punches and do all this to have to give him a part of this. And that’s what money is, I’ll fight and earn it, whatever. Win or lose, we will take care of everything – said Dern at the event’s media day.
But it wasn’t just the divorce that Mackenzie Dern had to face these past few months. Her old gym, RVCA, closed its doors and forced the Brazilian to look for another place to train, spending a period of time sharing work with private trainers and also on Henry Cejudo’s team. Another obstacle that the fighter dealt with for UFC 295.
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– My team closed, so I had to do my gym at home. You keep investing in the game and hope it becomes reality. I wanted to keep everything secret because when they know what you’re doing, you’re vulnerable. I’m a jiu-jitsu champion, but if people see you crying during training, it’s because I feel frustrated because I want to be good at something. I feel like I should know how to do something and I can’t. It’s frustrating,” she said.
