Mackenzie Dern enters UFC 321 on October 25, 2025, in Abu Dhabi seeking to become the first woman to capture both an ADCC title and a UFC championship – an achievement matched by only three men, and solely completed across every major discipline by Fabricio Werdum.
Mackenzie Dern At UFC 321
At a pre-fight press conference, Dern noted that Werdum remains the only athlete ever to secure gold in the IBJJF World Championship, Abu Dhabi World Pro, ADCC, and UFC, and she aspires to join him in that rarefied company.
Fabricio Werdum forged his status as a pioneer in elite submission grappling and MMA over two decades. He won the IBJJF World Championship at black belt in 2003 and 2004, claimed the ADCC World Championship in 2007 and successfully defended it in 2009, and later ascended to UFC Heavyweight Champion with submission victories over Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. His unique sweep of the sport’s four premier titles earned him induction into the ADCC Hall of Fame in 2024.
Dern’s jiu-jitsu résumé parallels Werdum’s in prestigious accomplishments. She captured the ADCC Championship at -60 kg in 2015, becoming the third woman to win the tournament, and that same year she won the IBJJF World Championship, both Gi and No-Gi, as well as the World Pro Abu Dhabi title. Her distinguished grappling career is highlighted by gold medals at the IBJJF European Open, Pan-American Championship, and Asian Open, making her the only female competitor to hold black-belt gold in all five principal IBJJF Gi events.
Transitioning to MMA, Dern made her UFC debut at UFC 222 in March 2018, earning a unanimous split decision over Ashley Yoder. Over seven years, she has recorded ten UFC victories, seven by submission, including the first female leg-lock finish in UFC history via kneebar in May 2020. Her submission success rate of 53 percent shows her ability to translate elite grappling into the Octagon.
At the press conference ahead of UFC 321, Dern reflected on destiny and timing, she explained:
“I could become the first woman ever to hold both an ADCC title and a UFC title. There’ve been three men who’ve done it, but no women. Fabricio Werdum is the only person who’s ever done all four — IBJJF, World Pro, ADCC, and UFC. To maybe join him in that history, that’s really special for me.”
“I won my first world title here in Abu Dhabi on April 25, 2015, and now I’m fighting for a UFC world title on October 25, 2025 — exactly ten years later, same place. You can’t plan something like that. It really feels like destiny. I’ve been training since I was five, so I think the stars are aligning.”
Though three men have held both ADCC and UFC titles, Werdum, Demian Maia, Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza, only Werdum has completed the full quartet of IBJJF, World Pro, ADCC, and UFC championships.
If Dern prevails at UFC 321, she will not merely extend her personal legacy but also reshape the record books, standing alone alongside Werdum. Her campaign epitomizes the convergence of grappling pedigree and MMA ambition, marking a watershed moment in women’s combat sports.
