UFC’s Mackenzie Dern is ‘so unaware of the sport’

Chael Sonnen thinks Mackenzie Dern missed the mark by not calling for a title shot after UFC Struggle Night time 249.

Dern (16-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) picked up her second-straight win when she submitted Amanda Ribas (12-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Spherical 3 of Saturday’s most important occasion rematch on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Contemplating her jiu-jitsu accolades, Sonnen thinks Dern has didn’t market herself correctly.

“I couldn’t return over Mackenzie’s profession and hand her one praise on something she’s finished from an leisure facet,” Sonnen mentioned on “Good Man/Unhealthy Man” with Daniel Cormier. “I couldn’t inform you one time she had a microphone in her hand and turned it right into a pipe bomb. I couldn’t inform you one alternative that she pushed everyone else apart and got here and acquired it for herself.

“I may inform you earlier than she made her UFC debut, a man named Chael Sonnen known as her to do a pure grappling match, straight up jiu-jitsu towards anyone known as Miesha Tate, who was one of many largest names in the entire sport, and there was no amount of cash to get Mackenzie on the airplane to do the match. Her reasoning? She desires to concentrate on MMA. So, I’m making an attempt to elucidate to her that if you wish to break into MMA, that is Miesha Tate, come get your cash, and he or she by no means did it.”

After avenging her 2019 loss to Ribas, which was the primary of her profession, Dern mentioned she’s in no rush for a title shot. Though Dern has now headlined 4 UFC Struggle Night time occasions, Sonnen doesn’t suppose she’s capitalized sufficient from her recognition.

“She decides she must get higher at jiu-jitsu, she leaves her father, Wellington ‘Megaton,’ one of many largest stars there may be, goes out with Jason Parillo in California and begins hitting mitts which acquired her nowhere than lacking punches and blocking pictures along with her face,” Sonnen added. “I’ve by no means seen Mackenzie get it proper. Everybody likes her, myself included, everybody appears to be rooting for her for causes I actually can’t clarify to you, myself included.

“She appears to be like like she does actually care about this sport. She talks about a few of her hardships and issues exterior the ring which do compel you very a lot to her, however so far as understanding what makes {dollars} has acquired to make sense, she doesn’t know what any of these phrases imply. I’ve by no means seen a second-generation athlete so unaware of the game that’s happening round them.”

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Struggle Night time 249.