UFC Vegas 73 winner Mackenzie Dern: Fighting Rose Namajunas is a “priority of mine right now”

Mackenzie Dern is riding high after her dominating win over Angela Hill, and she’s now targeting Rose Namajunas.

Dern promised a more aggressive approach ahead of her UFC Vegas 73 showdown with Hill. Dern delivered as advertised, turning up the heat with her striking, having relentless pressure in the grappling, and actively going for the finish throughout the fight. While Dern couldn’t secure the submission she was hoping for, she did earn a unanimous decision victory to keep her top 10 strawweight ranking safe.

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Mackenzie Dern vs. Rose Namajunas?

Speaking to reporters during the UFC Vegas 73 post-fight press conference, Mackenzie Dern expressed her desire to share the Octagon with “Thug” Rose Namajunas, a former two-time UFC Strawweight Champion (h/t MMAJunkie).

“I follow her on social media too and I think she did like an ADCC regional or something like that,” Dern said. “I mean I’m a former ADCC champion, so for me, I’m always happy when I see the MMA girls doing jiu-jitsu and things like that.

“So, definitely for sure to fight Rose is a priority of mine right now. I think it would be a great fight, a good main event, and a good test for both of us. So, when I see her training her jiu-jitsu, I’m like it’s not gonna be an easy fight, but I think it could be a great fight for the public and for us.”

Namajunas hasn’t competed since her May 2022 loss against Carla Esparza. The bout was widely panned for being uneventful. Namajunas’ second 115-pound title reign came to an end, as she was defeated via split decision.

Meanwhile, Dern has been active in pro MMA competition, having three fights in the last 13 months. Whether or not Dern is an intriguing enough opponent to lure Namajunas back inside the Octagon remains to be seen.