Mackenzie Dern says a WWE run is on her radar once her UFC career winds down, pointing to the Bella Twins as part of the appeal.
The reigning UFC women’s strawweight champion won the title with a decision over Virna Jandiroba in October 2025 and made her first defense against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in August. Speaking with Us Weekly, she said stepping into a WWE ring sounds like a natural next chapter.
“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.”
Dern gave no timeline for hanging up her gloves, but she made clear pro wrestling isn’t an idle thought for her. Before any WWE move, though, she has a different matchup in mind: an exhibition with Ronda Rousey, the UFC Hall of Famer and former WWE women’s champion who recently submitted Gina Carano in her own return to combat sports.
“Ronda Rousey is a lot bigger, but it would have been amazing to do like an exhibition match with her,” Dern said.
Rousey competed most of her UFC career at 135 pounds, well above Dern’s 115-pound strawweight limit, a gap Dern acknowledged even as she floated the idea.
