UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern recently discussed her determination to clear alimony dues amid a challenging divorce process, even if it meant getting “punched in the face” in the process.
Ahead of her showdown with Angela Hill at UFC Vegas 73, Dern shed light on a complex legal dispute with her ex-husband Wesley Santos. Dern cited physical abuse and emphasized that she was unable to defend herself because she was afraid of the legal fallout and that she would lose custody of her kid, Moa.
Complicating matters further, the court ruled Dern as the primary earner in the relationship. As a result, she was mandated to cover her estranged husband’s court fees, amounting to $10,000. Additionally, she was required to provide a monthly spousal and child allowance of $4,006.
Addressing the challenges during UFC 295 media day, Mackenzie Dern recently expressed the emotional weight of her situation. She said that the majority of her earnings from the match with Jessica Andrade would go toward compensating her partner despite their official separation.
She reflected, stating: “I realized we always have problems. Just the pressure. The last one I went through the divorce. The divorce is final but you don’t realize how much aftermath there is to it. Literally, this whole fight is still paying my ex. It’s crazy, I have to get punched in the face and you work so hard and you do all this and you have to like pay that much of something.”
Jessica Andrade enters the ring on the heels of a challenging year. Out of her four bouts this year, the former champion is now on a three-bout losing streak.
During the UFC 295 media day, Dern analyzed the potential mindset of Andrade. She said: “She’s still there. She’s still got this. I think she’s going to come with strategy. In the three fights, she was submitted twice and knocked out once. I think she’s going to have a little more of a game plan. I think she’ll still come for war. I think she wants to take my head off. She wants to kill me in this fight.”