Mackenzie Dern apologized to fans while addressing the first knockout loss of her career, a second-round stoppage in a bout with Jessica Andrade at UFC 295.
It was a tough night at the office for the 30-year-old strawweight, who was knocked down four times in the second round. Andrade’s blistering performance put her back in the win column following three straight losses. The fight dropped Dern to 2-3 over her previous fight fights, continuing her seesaw between wins and losses.
Following the event, Dern took to Instagram to address her performance and the disappointing result.
“Hey guys, so I’m sorry about the loss,” Dern said. “I’m sorry about the fight. I tried my best, but Jessica’s tough. I got hit, and it is what it is. You can only lose if you fight.”
The fight started with Dern scoring an early takedown, but she couldn’t keep Andrade on the ground. The action largely stayed on the feet their initial grappling scramble.
While Dern did tag Andrade with a few hard shots — including one stiff combination landed just after she suffered a knockdown — the multi-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion ultimately just couldn’t weather the storm.
It was also the first fight for Dern with a new team after her former gym closed down, which included the loss of head coach Jason Parillo.
“I appreciate all the support,” Dern said. “I’m sorry if I upset anyone. I know a lot of you guys believed in me, but I’ll be back stronger. I learn for this and let’s go, we’re still going to go after the belt.”
The loss dropped Dern to 13-4 overall with an 8-4 resume in the UFC.
This story originally appeared on MMA fighting
