Livinha Souza respectfully calls out Mackenzie Dern for UFC Brasilia

Livinha Souza wants to face fellow jiu-jitsu black belt Mackenzie Dern at the upcoming UFC Brasilia card on March 14.

Souza, who lost to short-notice bout to newcomer Brianna Van Buren at UFC Sacramento, is close to fully recovering from a back injury that forced her out of a planned UFC on ESPN 7 clash with Virna Jandiroba. She guarantees she’ll be be ready for a three-round, 115-pound contest in two months.

“I want to fight in Brasilia,” Souza told MMA Fighting. “Let’s see what happens. If Mackenzie wants that, I’m here.”

Dern won seven in a row in MMA before a unanimous decision loss to Amanda Ribas at UFC Tampa. The defeat left the jiu-jitsu world champion and ADCC gold medalist with a 2-1 octagon record.

“I would like to fight her because I admire her,” said Souza, a former Invicta FC strawweight champion. “It would be a great fight for jiu-jitsu fans. You only become a legend by beating on.”

Dern joined the UFC in 2018 and quickly made an impact. She defeated Ashley Yoder via decision at UFC 222 before tapping Amanda Cooper with a rear-naked choke at UFC 244. Souza has scored the majority of her wins by submission, forcing eight opponents to give up; she is also 2-1 in the Octagon with wins over Alex Chambers and Sarah Frota.

“We’ll be like two anacondas rolling in there,” Souza said. “Let’s see who gets it done.”