UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Mackenzie Dern is interested in potentially making the jump to WWE after her MMA career is over.
WWE and UFC have developed a closer relationship since both companies came under the TKO Group Holdings umbrella, with talent from each promotion regularly appearing at events for the other. Several UFC fighters have also expressed interest in eventually trying their hand at professional wrestling.
Dern can now be added to that list.
During an interview with US Weekly, Dern was asked about the possibility of eventually stepping into a WWE ring. She said it is something she would be interested in pursuing once she retires from MMA.
“Oh yeah, that’d be fun. So much fun,” Dern said. “I mean, the Bella [twins]. It’s so cool. I’d be able to once I retire.”
Dern also has a potential opponent in mind if she ever gets the opportunity.
The UFC champion named former UFC and WWE star Ronda Rousey as someone she would have liked to face, acknowledging the size difference between the two while suggesting an exhibition match could have worked.
“Ronda Rousey is a lot bigger, but it would have been amazing to do like an exhibition match with her.”
Dern has an extensive background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, becoming a multiple-time world champion before transitioning to MMA in 2016. She made her UFC debut in 2018 and eventually captured the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship.
WWE has a lengthy history of bringing MMA talent into professional wrestling. Rousey became one of the company’s biggest women’s stars following her UFC career, while names such as Shayna Baszler and Matt Riddle also made successful transitions from MMA to WWE.
Whether Dern ultimately follows a similar path remains to be seen, but she appears open to exploring the possibility once her time inside the Octagon comes to an end.
