Photos: "She’s got that DAWG in her too" - Fans react as Mackenzie Dern brings along her dog 'to work day' during UFC Vegas 101 fight week

Former IBJJF world champion and highly-ranked UFC strawweight star Mackenzie Dern will open up the UFC calendar year by facing fellow Brazilian star Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 101. This weekend, the no.6 Dern and no.8 strawweight Ribas will meet in a rematch of their 2019 bout, which the latter won via a unanimous decision.

The two went separate ways after their clash and had varying degrees of success in the division. This Saturday, Mackenzie Dern would certainly bring the relentless dog in her to the fight as she tries to protect her spot in the rankings.

For now, however, she just brought her actual dog to UFC media day:

Mackenzie Dern and her dog during UFC Vegas 101 media day. [Screenshot courtesy: @ufc on X]

Here's the full post by the UFC:

Fans loved the contrasting look of Dern with a wide angelic smile and her menacing Cane Corso by her side, with @lochiejarvis201 saying:

"She’s got that DAWG in her too"

Meanwhile, @MarceloMayer07 said:

"Dogs a beast."

Check out more comments below:

Comments on the photos. [Screenshots courtesy: @ufc on X]

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Amanda Ribas out "for blood" in second dance with Mackenzie Dern

The UFC opens 2025 with a banger of a card headlined by two fan favorites Mackenzie Dern and Amanda Ribas. With thirty fights between them since their first fight in 2019, both strawweights have significantly improved in their respective games.

With Dern standing ahead of her in the rankings, the often jovial Ribas will have to turn off her nice lady mode to bring out the ravenous dog in her come fight night. In an interview with MMA Junkie, Ribas said (4:44):

"I like to fight in [such a way that] I'm [feeling] strong, I'm feel confident and I'm [feeling] hungry, you know, in Strawweight. Not hungry [like] just food, but for blood! [laughs] "

In her last outing, Ribas lost to former UFC strawweight champ Rose Namajunas in a flyweight contest. Moving back down to strawweight with a handful of lessons learned from fighting a former champ, Ribas said (5:07):

"Because I'm a true emotional person, but I need, in this time, my team and I talked [for me] to be more [of a] brain person... I took this time to recover my body, recovery [for] everything. And to feel that "miss to fight", miss to compete. And I missed that. Now I really, really want to fight."

Check out Amanda Ribas talking about her rematch with Mackenzie Dern below: