BJJ star Mackenzie Dern signs with Legacy FC, MMA debut set for July

One of the best grapplers in the world is set to make her transition to mixed martial arts.

Mackenzie Dern, a jiu-jitsu black belt under her father Wellington "Megaton" Dias, signed a deal with Legacy FC and will make her MMA debut July 22 in Dallas, the promotion announced Thursday.

Dern, who won the IBJJF jiu-jitsu world championship and ADCC in 2015, competes between 127 and 132 pounds in jiu-jitsu and grappling. For her MMA debut, Dern told MMAFighting.com she will cut down to 115 pounds. The promotion has yet to announce an opponent.

"I hope I can represent jiu-jitsu well and put on a good performance," said Dern, who turns 23 years old on March 24. "Of course, I will try to be aggressive, but it’s my first fight, so I will still feel everything, see what I have to improve."

Dern is training at The MMA Lab for her mixed martial arts debut.

Um vídeo publicado por Mackenzie Dern (@mackenziedern) em Mar 8, 2016 às 3:25 PST

Um vídeo publicado por Mackenzie Dern (@mackenziedern) em Jan 6, 2016 às 11:24 PST