Why did Mackenzie Dern have an emotional support dog with her at UFC Vegas 101 press-conference? Will the pooch make an appearance on fight day?

UFC women's strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern has made headlines this week after she brought her emotional support dog to the UFC Vegas 101 press-conference.

Dern will open the UFC's calendar year in the main event against Amanda Ribas, which pits the No.6 and No.8 ranked contenders against one another once again. The pair previously fought back in 2019, which saw Ribas win the fight via unanimous decision.

Ahead of their bout this weekend, Dern appeared across the UFC's social media channels after she arrived at the press conference with her dog.

The 31-year-old was then asked during the presser why she brought her dog, where she revealed he helps her remain calm and comfortable, which is needed ahead of such an important fight. Dern said:

"He's [the dog] like security and emotional support. He helps me just being comfortable and trying to stay as calm as I can. I think what I'm most needing in my fights is composure and to go into the Apex one more time and feel like it's a training session. He goes to the gym with me so it's kind of the best way to keep my relaxed and not getting my nerves up too high.

Mackenzie Dern was then asked if the dog would be at the Apex on Saturday night, to which he jokingly responded:

"Haha! Maybe. Maybe."

Check out Dern's comments here:

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Paul Felder predicts Mackenzie Dern vs. Amanda Ribas 2

Paul Felder recently offered his prediction for Mackenzie Dern's upcoming rematch against Amanda Ribas at UFC Vegas 101 this weekend.

After locking horns in 2019, the pair have since gone on to hone their skills and become two of the toughest fights in the division, with both also hoping a win on Saturday will seen them push for title contention.

Dern is heading into the fight off the back of a win over Loopy Godinez, whereas Ribas is hoping to bounce back from a defeat to former champ Rose Namajunas. Despite recently suffering a loss, however, Felder believes Ribas will have the edge in the fight. Speaking on the Believe You Me podcast, the former fighter-turned-commentator said:

“At this moment I'm leaning towards Amanda Ribas. I just think she's a bit more of a versatile striker on the feet [than Mackenzie Dern], uses more weapons. Coming off that five-round fight with Rose, she's got a lot of experience with other good strikers and people that are well-rounded. I think if it gets to the ground, she's good enough with her defense to avoid any kind of crazy submission. So I'm going for Ribas, probably by decision."

Check out Paul Felder's comments below (13:29):