“My dad still competes today, still trains like he’s 20 years old and it’s just so crazy to see how many people are inspired by him. It gives them hope, like, okay, this is something I can do when I’m a grandpa. He has his granddaughter and she was there and it really gives a lot of value to jiu-jitsu.
“Very few people have the coral belt, you know? It’s 40 years as a black belt. It’s how much time he has been training and dedicating a lot of sweat, tears, blood into the sport, into our martial art. It’s really inspiring and I’m so proud of him.”
Heading To Singapore? Get Your Tickets For UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochazka
The pride goes both ways, of course, and dad is beaming as his daughter enters another high-profile fight week, one in which she’ll be featured on the main card of Jacksonville’s UFC 273 pay-per-view card vs veteran Tecia Torres.
“This fight with Tecia is going to be a tough fight,” says Dern. “She has so much experience, way more experience than me. She’s one of the pioneers of the strawweight division. The few losses that she has are from former champions or champions now. So she’s lost to only the top of the top and she’s just been on a on a great run. I’m definitely happy to be fighting her at this moment of her career. I think she’s the best she’s been. I think that’s what makes you a better fighter. That is what brings your level to the next level, finding someone that’s at a higher level than you. That helps bring you up.”
Dern is perched at No. 5 in the strawweight rankings, keenly aware that the “higher level” she speaks of is a shot at the belt if she can string together another couple wins. She had her first UFC main event last October, and while she fell on the scorecards to Marina Rodriguez, she’s eager to taste that opportunity again.