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 Evening 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 essential 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 accomplished from an leisure facet,” Sonnen mentioned on “Good Man/Dangerous Man” with Daniel Cormier. “I couldn’t let you know one time she had a microphone in her hand and turned it right into a pipe bomb. I couldn’t let you know one alternative that she pushed everyone else apart and got here and received it for herself.

“I might let you know earlier than she made her UFC debut, a man named Chael Sonnen referred to as her to do a pure grappling match, straight up jiu-jitsu towards any individual referred to as Miesha Tate, who was one of many greatest names in the entire sport, and there was no sum of money 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 clarify 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 Evening occasions, Sonnen doesn’t suppose she’s capitalized sufficient from her reputation.

“She decides she must get higher at jiu-jitsu, she leaves her father, Wellington ‘Megaton,’ one of many greatest stars there may be, goes out with Jason Parillo in California and begins hitting mitts which received her nowhere than lacking punches and blocking pictures together 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 outdoors the ring which do compel you very a lot to her, however so far as understanding what makes {dollars} has received 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 Evening 249.