Coach Jason Parillo, renowned for his work with champions like Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold, and BJ Penn, recently shared insights about training UFC strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern during an appearance on The Casuals MMA podcast.
Parillo, who has built a reputation as one of MMA’s elite striking coaches, spoke candidly about the unique challenges and potential of working with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion as she continues to develop her striking skills for MMA competition.
“Mackenzie’s a wild card,” Parillo explained. “She loves to strike. Mackenzie has one thing that you can’t teach as well, and that’s she’s crazy.”
The veteran coach acknowledged that while Dern possesses world-class grappling credentials, his focus isn’t on replacing her ground game but complementing it with effective striking fundamentals.
“I’m not trying to get her to fight on her feet. I’m trying to teach her how to fight on her feet so we could fight on the ground,”
Parillo clarified.
One of the challenges Parillo mentioned was consistency in training.
“She’s going to hate me saying this probably on some type of podcast, but it’s just getting her in the gym on a consistent basis,”
he admitted. Parillo noted there had been a period where they didn’t work together for a couple of fights, which disrupted the momentum they had built in developing her striking mechanics.
Parillo expressed confidence in Dern‘s championship potential, comparing her situation to other fighters he’s guided to UFC gold.
“People say she could be a champion,”
he stated, explaining that he sees promise in fighters who may need development rather than those already perceived as unstoppable.
The coach emphasized the importance of fighters understanding both facets of MMA.
“You got to be able to fight both places,”
Parillo said, referring to the necessity of being competent on the feet even for grappling specialists. He suggested that even the most talented jiu-jitsu practitioners need striking skills to reach championship level in modern MMA.
Parillo‘s coaching philosophy centers on developing fighters with room for growth rather than those who are already established stars.
“Go get your a*s kicked three or four times. Now come back for my help,”
he explained about his preference for working with fighters who recognize they still have things to learn.
Parillo believes the partnership has potential if they can maintain consistency in their work together. With his track record of developing complete fighters, Parillo‘s insights suggest that Dern‘s evolution as a striker remains a work in progress, but one with championship possibilities if she fully commits to the process.
process.
