When Mackenzie Dern first appeared in the UFC, fans noticed something strikingly different. The strawweight contender, once fluent in the fast-paced rhythm of American English, now sounded distinctly Brazilian. During her post-fight interview, she even used a translator to speak Portuguese. The crowd was confused. The internet? Ruthless.

What happened to Mackenzie Dern’s voice? Was it an act, or just the natural result of living between two worlds? With Dern now set to face Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 for the vacant strawweight title, fans are again asking: how many languages does she actually speak, and why does she sound more Brazilian than American?

How Many Languages Does Mackenzie Dern Speak Fluently?

Despite being born and raised in the U.S., Mackenzie Dern isn’t just bilingual; she’s bicultural. The daughter of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu legend Wellington ‘Megaton’ Dias, Dern grew up in a household where English and Portuguese intertwined like grappling holds. Her father, a Brazilian immigrant, made sure Portuguese was as natural to her as her native English.

So when fans pointed out her changing accent, it wasn’t a switch; it was probably a reflection of immersion. But where did this shift truly begin? Let’s trace it back to her early years and family roots.

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Why Did Mackenzie Dern’s Accent Change From American to Brazilian?

Most of Mackenzie Dern’s followers and a lot of other UFC fans know that she is a well-accomplished Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete. Although her fame may have significantly increased after joining the UFC, she was also quite famous during her BJJ days. But the accent in which she speaks English has now considerably changed from the early days of her combat sports.

During Dern’s initial days in BJJ, she spoke with an accent that sounded a lot more American. However, most fans might say that her current accent sounds like a Brazilian speaking English. There are a few videos that showcase this change in the 31-year-old’s accent. Quite understandably, the fans who knew about her American accent were further startled when she spoke in Portuguese in her UFC 224 post-fight Octagon interview with a translator.

She later addressed the scrutiny over her accent by stating, “Yeah, it’s so flattering, you know? (Laughs) You know, I haven’t seen this video and I won’t watch it. I think it’s just funny how they’re talking about it and I think after my UFC fights they’ll pay more attention to my fighting. But, they’re paying so much attention to this – it’s a compliment. I think people are starting to understand this is me, it’s who I am. I think it will pass in a while.”

Her explanation makes sense. Anyone who’s lived between two languages knows how one begins to influence the other. The way you think changes the way you speak. And for Dern, whose family, coaches, and even partners are Brazilian, that transition was inevitable. But to understand why Portuguese runs so deep in her life, we need to look at where it all began: her childhood.

Dern’s Explanation About Her Portuguese-Speaking Upbringing

From the age of three, Dern was training on the mats, often traveling back and forth between the U.S. and Brazil. Her stepmother, Luciana Tavares, also a black belt, played a key role in shaping her early training. The result? A fighter equally molded by American structure and Brazilian spirit. She graduated from Ironwood High School in Arizona, but much of her personal and professional life unfolded in Rio’s BJJ academies.

Over the years, Dern has become fluent in both languages as she once said, “My dad and stepmom are both Brazilian. My boyfriend speaks Portuguese. I’m speaking Portuguese more than English. I still have lots of interactions in English of course. But I think in Portuguese, anything to do with fight is all in Portuguese in my mind, I dream in Portuguese.”

At a time when Dern was as physically imposing as other girls, she’d take on much bigger opponents. Perhaps that is what shaped her to go down the path of MMA – her fearlessness.

On the other hand, Mackenzie Dern has quite a few siblings – two younger half-brothers and a brother and sister of her own family. It’s not known if her siblings also follow the martial arts path, but if they do decide to go down the same path as her, they’re surely going to get noticed, given that Dern is quite popular in the MMA fandom. 

So, why does Mackenzie Dern have a Brazilian accent? The answer is simple: it’s the sound of a life lived between two worlds. She’s American by birth, Brazilian by blood, and fluent in the language of both!