UFC star Mackenzie Dern has achieved remarkable success throughout her career, capturing titles at almost every major BJJ tournament and competing at the highest levels in the UFC.
Despite her numerous titles, however, Dern has secured the IBJJF Worlds title only once.
And, well, in a recent interview – she said that it wouldn’t really make a difference if she had a much larger number of titles:
How can I make a difference for the community if I’m like a ten-time world champion?
I mean, that’s good (just) on a personal level, you know?
Dern contrasted the limited impact of Jiu-Jitsu world champions like Roger Gracie and Robson Gracie with the potential of the UFC platform to reach a wider audience.
Inspired by Royce Gracie’s use of the UFC to popularize Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu all over the world, Dern sees her role in MMA as an opportunity to inspire women and demonstrate the inclusivity of martial arts:
My biggest motivation was to try and spread it so to as many people as I can.
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