Mackenzie Dern apologized for her first career knockout loss and vowed to come back stronger following her defeat to Jessica Andrade at UFC 295.
Mackenzie Dern addressed the first knockout loss of her career, a second-round stoppage in a bout with Jessica Andrade at UFC 295. The 30-year-old strawweight was knocked down four times in the second round, ultimately leading to Andrade’s victory and putting her back in the win column after three straight losses. Dern’s seesaw between wins and losses continued, bringing her to a record of 2-3 over her previous five fights.
Dern took to Instagram to apologize to her fans, acknowledging her performance and the disappointing result. She expressed her disappointment, saying, “Hey guys, so I’m sorry about the loss. I’m sorry about the fight. I tried my best, but Jessica’s tough. I got hit, and it is what it is. You can only lose if you fight.”
The fight began with Dern scoring an early takedown but she couldn’t keep Andrade on the ground. Ultimately, she just couldn’t weather Andrade’s blistering performance, resulting in the loss. This was also Dern’s first fight with a new team after her former gym closed down, including the loss of head coach Jason Parillo. Despite the defeat, Dern expressed gratitude for the support she has received, saying, “I appreciate all the support. I’m sorry if I upset anyone. I know a lot of you guys believed in me, but I’ll be back stronger. I learn for this and let’s go, we’re still going to go after the belt.” The loss dropped Dern to 13-4 overall, with an 8-4 resume in the UFC.