Mackenzie Dern has made a name for herself in the UFC. The Women’s Strawweight made her UFC debut back in 2018 and since then, she has put up some impressive performances. Dern has won the Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night bonuses multiple times. She has also signed sponsorship deals with multiple brands owing to her success in the world of MMA. As a successful name in the organization, she has raked up quite a lot of money by fighting.
The UFC pays fighters a base salary for every fight. They mention this amount in their contracts. However, the fighters can earn more than this amount through bonuses and sponsorships.
According to Inside Sport, Mackenzie Dern has earned a total of $823,450 in career earnings so far, as a minimum. This number is based on her base salary, reported to be between $66,000 to $80,000.
Next up, the American is set to fight Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 this weekend. The event takes place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
Dern is set to earn a staggering $200,000 for her fight against Lemos at UFC 298. Manouk Akopyan reported the base figure via X
Guaranteed Purses for #UFC298 (per. @ManoukAkopyan)
Volkanovski: $750,000
Topuria: $350,000
Whittaker: $300,000
Costa: $250,000
Garry: $55,000
Neal: $108,000
Merab: $105,000
Cejudo: $150,000
Dern: $200,000 pic.twitter.com/ek4ka45b66— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 17, 2024
The amount is considerably larger than what she has been earning so far. Mackenzie Dern will be earning more than names like Ian Garry, Geoff Neal, and Merab Dvalishvili.
The Strawweight fighter has a game plan for her fight. She looks to emulate Khabib Nurmagomedov when she takes on Lemos.
Mackenzie Dern says she needs to channel her inner Khabib Nurmagomedov in her next fight
The Strawweight fighter sat down in front of the media before UFC 298 to answer their questions. Dern is coming off a loss to Jessica Andrade and is trying to turn things around.
The reporters asked her what she needs to do differently to go back to winning ways, and she responded by saying:
“I mean it’s clear to me, I kind of just need to be more like Khabib and just go forward. I mean. that’s my style, you know, and keep them on their back feet.”
Mackenzie Dern: “I need to be more like Khabib” pic.twitter.com/heMqI6AS9F
— calfkicker (@calfkickercom) February 17, 2024
Mackenzie Dern revealed that she needs to be the one applying the pressure. This way her opponent will always be on guard, worried about the takedown.
This one major improvement in her game would make the difference in her fights, according to Dern. However, whether she will be able to execute her plan is a question that can only be answered in the future.
