Mackenzie Dern has left the door open to a future in professional wrestling once her mixed martial arts career is complete.
Dern, the current UFC Strawweight Champion and a jiu-jitsu specialist riding a four-fight UFC winning streak, addressed the possibility of entering the wrestling ring during a recent interview. While there is no indication that she is preparing for an immediate transition away from MMA, Dern made clear that professional wrestling is an avenue she finds appealing for the post-fighting stage of her career.
“Oh yeah, that’d be fun. So much fun, I mean, the Bella [Twins]. It’s so cool. I’d be able to once I retire.”
The comments are notable because Dern did not frame wrestling as an imminent side project while she is actively competing in the UFC. Instead, she connected the idea directly to retirement from MMA. That distinction matters for an athlete currently at the top of a competitive division and still building momentum inside the Octagon.
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Still, the interest itself adds Dern to a long list of major combat-sports figures who have at least considered the potential of professional wrestling. The two industries demand different skill sets, but there is also considerable overlap in the qualities that can make a crossover compelling: athletic credibility, physical charisma, comfort performing under pressure, and a pre-existing audience that understands the athlete’s competitive background.
Dern Sees the Appeal of Wrestling
Dern’s answer was brief, but it offered a straightforward view of why a professional wrestling run could interest her. She described it as “fun” and specifically referenced the Bella Twins, signaling an appreciation for prominent women who became recognizable figures through WWE.
Professional wrestling can offer former fighters a very different type of challenge from conventional competition. MMA requires athletes to prepare for legitimate, unpredictable sporting contests in which an opponent is attempting to win. Wrestling, by contrast, combines physical performance with character work, timing, storytelling and crowd engagement. The action is cooperative in structure, but it remains highly demanding and carries its own physical risks.
For someone with Dern’s high-level grappling background, the in-ring transition would naturally invite attention. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist has a clear foundation for believable throws, holds, takedowns and submission-based offense. That does not automatically make a successful professional wrestler; learning how to work safely, build a match, react to an audience and develop a persona are all separate parts of the craft. However, a legitimate combat-sports résumé often gives a performer an immediate sense of credibility.
Dern’s comments did not identify a promotion, a timetable, a wrestling training plan or any potential opponent. Her words should therefore be viewed as an expression of interest rather than confirmation of a future signing or appearance. At present, her focus remains MMA, where she is UFC Strawweight Champion.
A Familiar Path for MMA Names
The possibility of MMA fighters moving into wrestling has always generated conversation because both worlds share a history of crossover stars. In some cases, fighters have made isolated appearances. In others, they have committed to full-time schedules and adapted their athletic identities to a wrestling environment.
Dern’s own mention of the Bella Twins reflects the visibility WWE has created for women performers across multiple generations. Their success helped demonstrate that wrestling personalities can become mainstream figures beyond weekly television, a factor that can be attractive to athletes considering what comes after an active combat-sports career.
Any transition for Dern would likely come with obvious curiosity surrounding how her MMA identity would translate. Her jiu-jitsu credentials would provide a natural starting point, whether presented through a submission-heavy style or through the broader aura of a champion entering a new arena. Wrestling audiences have historically responded strongly to athletes whose backgrounds make their offense feel authentic, particularly when that realism is balanced with a distinct character and an ability to connect outside the ring.
There is also a major difference between appearing in a wrestling setting and becoming a polished professional wrestler. A one-off celebrity role can be designed around a limited number of moments. A sustained career requires conditioning for wrestling’s rhythm, extensive repetition, travel, promotional work and the ability to perform in front of live crowds consistently. Dern did not claim that she has begun that process, but her response indicates she is at least open to exploring it once her MMA chapter closes.
Ronda Rousey Remains an Intriguing Dream Match
During the same discussion, Dern also addressed the idea of facing Ronda Rousey in an exhibition match. Rousey is one of the most recognizable names in women’s MMA history and later became a major figure in WWE, making her an especially relevant name in any conversation involving the intersection of the two industries.
Dern acknowledged the size difference between them while still expressing enthusiasm for the prospect.
“Ronda Rousey is a lot bigger, but it would have been amazing to do like an exhibition match with her.”
The wording is important. Dern described an exhibition rather than announcing a planned fight, and there is no confirmed event, agreement or date attached to the idea. It is a hypothetical matchup involving two athletes with elite-level combat backgrounds, not a bout that has been formally discussed as happening.
Even so, the pairing is easy to understand. Rousey’s accomplishments in MMA made her a transformative name in women’s combat sports, while her later WWE career showed that a fighter with a legitimate judo and MMA résumé could become a central attraction in professional wrestling. Dern, as a UFC champion with world-class submission grappling credentials, represents a different combat-sports profile but one that would create an equally credible foundation for a crossover presentation.
A Dern-Rousey exhibition would also bring together two competitors associated with grappling-based disciplines. Rousey’s judo background and Dern’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu expertise would make the matchup an especially interesting stylistic proposition on paper, regardless of whether it took place in an MMA, grappling or wrestling-adjacent setting. For now, however, it remains only an idea raised by Dern.
What a Wrestling Future Could Mean
There is no shortage of questions that would follow if Dern eventually decided to pursue professional wrestling. Would she seek a developmental process before appearing on a major stage? Would she make a special attraction appearance while maintaining ties to combat sports? Would a promotion build her around her real-life championship credentials, or would she adopt a character removed from her MMA persona?
Those answers are unknown, and Dern has not suggested that a decision is close. Her central message was simply that wrestling is something she could see herself doing after retiring from MMA. As an active champion, she has a significant current commitment in the sport that made her a recognizable name.
That timing also makes sense from a practical standpoint. A retirement transition would allow Dern to devote the necessary attention to learning a new performance discipline without dividing focus from an active MMA title run. The physical preparation might have familiar elements, but the demands of a wrestling career are distinct enough that a serious move would require dedicated training.
Professional wrestling has repeatedly benefited from athletes who arrive with established competitive identities. Fans often understand the stakes of a former champion or decorated martial artist entering the ring before that person ever delivers a promo or competes in a match. Dern has the kind of résumé that would immediately invite interest, especially if she chose to carry her submission-grappling identity into a wrestling environment.
For now, there is no official next step to track beyond Dern’s stated openness to the possibility. Her UFC career remains the present priority, and any wrestling move appears to be a longer-term consideration. But her answer ensures that the prospect will remain a topic worth watching whenever the conversation turns to athletes who could potentially make the jump from MMA to professional wrestling.
Dern’s message was not a promise of an imminent debut. It was a clear statement that, once her fighting career is over, stepping into the professional wrestling world is something she believes could be “so much fun.”
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.