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Mackenzie Dern Wants WWE After UFC Career, Names Ronda Rousey As Dream Opponent
Mackenzie Dern is open to joining WWE after her UFC career, while she has also floated an exhibition bout with Ronda Rousey. The strawweight champion made clear that neither idea is imminent, with her attention remaining on her MMA run.
UFC women’s strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern has WWE on her radar for the period after she finishes competing in MMA. Dern addressed the prospect while attending the UFC 331 on Paramount+ red carpet at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on September 19. Asked whether she could see herself moving into professional wrestling, the Brazilian-American fighter said the idea appeals to her once she calls time on the Octagon.
“Oh yeah, that’d be fun. So much fun,” Dern said. “I mean, the Bella [Twins]. It’s so cool. I’d be able to once I retire.” The reference was to Brie and Nikki Bella, who debuted in WWE in 2008 and became two of the most recognizable names in the company’s women’s division.
UFC Champion Mackenzie Dern Eyes WWE Move And Ronda Rousey Exhibition
The American-Brazilian athlete did not suggest she has begun WWE training, held talks over a contract, or set a timetable for a move. Her answer instead positioned pro wrestling as a possible second chapter when her active fight career ends. Dern is 33 and remains in the middle of a successful UFC spell. She won the vacant women’s strawweight title by unanimous decision over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 in October 2025, then made her first defense against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in Philadelphia last month.
A transition to WWE would not be without precedent. Ronda Rousey made the same jump after her initial UFC run, signing with WWE in 2018 and becoming one of the company’s most prominent crossover attractions. Dern has a different competitive base, having arrived in MMA after a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu career, but her grappling background and public profile could translate well to a performance-based wrestling setting.
Dern also named Ronda Rousey as a dream opponent for an exhibition contest. She acknowledged the size difference between them but said she would have welcomed the opportunity. “Ronda Rousey is a lot bigger, but it would have been amazing to do like an exhibition match with her,” Dern said.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 13: Mackenzie Dern is seen on stage during the UFC 330 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The weight gap is real. Dern is UFC’s 115-pound strawweight champion, while Rousey spent most of her UFC career as a bantamweight, a division capped at 135 pounds. Rousey’s most recent MMA appearance came at featherweight, where she submitted Gina Carano with an armbar 17 seconds into the first round in May. That contest had a 145-pound limit.
Dern did not identify her next UFC opponent at the red-carpet appearance. Her immediate job is defending the strawweight title again, while a possible WWE appearance and a Rousey exhibition remain talking points for later.