On December 11, recently-retired former UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Miesha “Cupcake” Tate will be taking on #13-ranked UFC bantamweight, Jessica “Evil” Eye at Chael Sonnen’s Submission Underground 2.
Eye’s spot, however, was originally given BJJ black belt Mackenzie Dern.
So why isn’t the multiple-time Worlds gold medalist scheduled to meet Cupcake next month?
According to Sonnen in an interview with MMAjunkie Radio, she was scared.
Mackenzie Dern is supposedly a world champion in jiu-jitsu. Miesha Tate accepted on the spot, coming in to McKenzie’s world, [and Dern is] trying to break into MMA. So it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, because she is now going to get to go against the queen of MMA who just was the world champion a minute ago – in her realm, which is jiu-jitsu.
Sonnen continued:
Miesha accepts to come into her world, Mackenzie turns the match down. This is insane. This is insane that you were scared to compete in [the sport] which you were allegedly the champion of the world.
Dern’s manager, Daniel Rubenstein, took issue with Sonnen’s accusations, and told MMAjunkie that his client had no plans of fighting in December. Period.
She wasn’t competing in December regardless. She also turned down a fight that didn’t make sense to us. She was planning to fight for Legacy in December, and then take the rest of December off. She was focused on fighting, and when the fight did not materialize, she basically said she’s going to continue to train and get better for MMA.
Dern is already off to a good start in mixed martial arts, having won her first two matches in Legacy FC.
But how well would she have done in a grappling match against a former champion in the world’s biggest MMA promotion?
Sadly, we may never find out.
