Transcription

• Speaker #0

  mackenzie jern welcome to fargo talks thank you for coming in oh it's my pleasure it's um i i i watch mma a little bit i'm not like a diehard guy but i i was raised by a single mom and so that was the appeal when i i saw you and just watched what was going on and was like Oh my God. Like you've done something that most people will never accomplish in terms of your career. And you're just getting started really. Right. I mean,

• Speaker #1

  like that's how I feel. Right.

• Speaker #0

  Like pinch me. Like, you're like, Oh my God. Right. But also you have the most difficult job in the world than the most rewarding being a mom.

• Speaker #1

  Yes. Right. A hundred percent. It's like the most unconditional love, you know, where you just. do everything and you don't want anything when you turn in return you know the only thing you want is that you know your kid is healthy and safe and successful in life and happy you know what i mean so it's like you're not you're not like i mean it's funny because in the fight she my daughter she went to the fight and she's in the octagon and octagon and i gave her the bell you know i'm like hey like this is ours you know we got this together and she's all like nice but at home she's like mom you know i'm mom still you know what i mean so for everyone else you know they see me as Mackenzie the fighter and the champion, but Moa is just a mom, you know, and I'll always just be mom for her, you know, so it's just, it's really, it's really rewarding just to see her, you know, you know, like, hopefully she takes whatever I'm trying to, you know, like, be training and, you know, fighting and trying to accomplish, you know, what I can with her being my motivation, and she can have that for her life, you know, maybe not a kid, I don't know, whatever, whatever motivation we have, you know, we, everyone needs to find something that motivates them, you know, can be self-motivated or

• Speaker #0

  you know something else but hopefully she can take that in her life you know and whatever career path she decides what type of core beliefs do you hope to instill onto moa with how you live your life with the discipline and the structure and but also like you're one of the happiest people ever met in my life like you're always and that's that's also i think like a brazilian thing y'all are happy as hell

• Speaker #1

  It's crazy. We fight each other. We get in a fight, but we're all happy outside. I guess we have a way to spend our energy.

• Speaker #0

  It's balanced. But it's balanced. What type of beliefs do you hope to instill as a mom onto your daughter?

• Speaker #1

  I think the biggest thing that I hope is just getting through adversity. I try to give her the best life possible. Things that I didn't have or even stuff that I did have, I try to give. that to her but I don't she can't I don't I don't want her to think that things are easy you know what I mean that they just come easy you know what I mean so it's like I feel like she can see with all the adversity that we go through in life and she's part of that you know she can she she sees it she feels it you know what I mean um you know just even like getting ready for school you know we're like having to get it breakfast and getting out of bed and she wants to sleep 10 more minutes and you're like don't want to get laid and all that stuff get everything ready um so I mean I think just the biggest belief is just getting through adversity and keep going you know and just going after your goals, your dreams. You can't just give up after the first one.

• Speaker #0

  I have two kids and I have a stepdaughter and I love them all very much. The three words I tell them the most isn't I love you, it's figure it out. Growth mindset. No one's going to do it for you. And you've got to start learning how to do it yourself. I love you. I'm there for you. I will hold you and coddle you and shower my love upon you.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  When faced with adversity, you need to figure it out. And I think it's one of the hardest things as a parent is to watch your kids fail, right? Like whether it's like on the playground or whatever, and you see like they're doing something, you're like, and your first, your first reflex is to go help them. But really the best thing to do is sit back and watch.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  And let them kind of process what's going on. Yeah. And how are they going to overcome whatever adversity they're being faced with?

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. right 100 i mean i was one of those parents you know that like my mom will fall like at the playground or she'll trip on something you know and then the other one's like oh and i'm like no no no just like just let her be you know like obviously if she's injured you know absolutely but i mean you know what i mean like let she'll get up and you know she's not crying and she you know like they're not you know um trying to shelter her too much you know what i mean i'm like no it's okay and then i'd see the other moms and they're like you know they like help them up and she's Like... well mo and now she's six and she's like jumping all over the stuff she's like way jiu-jitsu and boxing and doing everything yeah yeah she loves it yeah she loves it this is actually the first fight she was coaching me during the fight you know so it's like usually she's kind of like emotional you know it's like even when i walk out she's already like getting teary-eyed you know she's like excited you know like not that she's nervous she's just no she loves her mom yeah it's like oh my gosh it's happening you know a lot of adrenaline um and though she's quiet during the fights you know and this is the first one that i'm hearing her in the crowd and she's like kick her Punch her in the face, you know, and I'm like, oh, she's getting more used to it, you know, and she's getting she's starting to realize, like, even with that pressure for a title and all this stuff, you know, she's like keeping focus. You know what I mean? Even when she's watching.

• Speaker #0

  And I'm thinking as a as a parent, like I don't practice jujitsu, but to me, jujitsu is like playing chess.

• Speaker #1

  Yes,

• Speaker #0

  because it's leverage and angles and pressure on those angles. And so you've got to be three or four or five steps ahead of your opponent.

• Speaker #1

  Right. Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  How do you do that when your baby girl is yelling and screaming in your corner in a motivational way? Because as a parent, I'd be like, oh, baby, thank you. But meanwhile, you're trying to, you know, you have hands on somebody. How do you balance that?

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing with me and Moa, it's like we get our time together like right before the fight. So right before the fight, she's very like cuddly. I think it's just all the emotions of going like I'm already with my hair braided up and all like kind of ready for war kind of thing you know basically already in my outfit going to the to the arena and so we're like hugging and you can kind of tell we like get it out there you know I've had a couple fights where I'm walking out and like oh do you want to give Moa a hug I'm like no right now I don't even I want to act like I don't even see her you know what I mean and she already understands that just to kind of like stay in that mode but we're We train so much. I'm so used to training with her at the gym. And she's there. And she's like, you know, running around. And in the beginning, you're like, you're training. And you have to kind of like watch and see. But now she already knows what to do. You know, like where she can and cannot go and stuff. She's climbing on the cage.

• Speaker #0

  I was going to ask you that when she was a baby, when she was like a toddler and in the gym. I mean, and you're a mom. And it's like, this is my baby girl. But you're still, you're there to train, to work on your craft, to play chess. Yes. And to be the best that you can be. How do you do that?

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. It's so hard. It's so hard. I mean, 100%, I'm not there 100%. You know what I mean? Like, you're there, but it's way different than, like, Weili. For example, she's the ex-champion of my division before she went up. I mean, everyone has problems. Everyone has life, you know. But it's, like, it's different when you have someone who's just training every single day and no kids and no… husbands or wives or you know relation like like they're that athlete lifestyle you know what i mean and being there in the gym and just having more i mean it's a motivation so the same time i'm seeing her and i'm like okay i'm doing this for her i need to focus but you're not there 100 you know you can't be you can't be it's impossible it's impossible it's impossible to be a good parent and

• Speaker #0

  to totally like disassociate yourself from your child yeah you can't do that yes there's There's always going to be party going, is she okay? I haven't heard her in a while. Wait a minute. Because as a parent, especially with little kids, when they're quiet, something's gone. They're up to no good. They're being naughty. Yes. Usually. Yes, exactly. They're getting into something.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Something's happening.

• Speaker #0

  They're getting into mischief. Yeah. And here you are trying to freaking train.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  And she's, you know, running around knocking over water bottles or something.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. But she's been, she's, she's gotten good. We gotten, like, we worked a lot with her. just trying to get involved, you know what I mean? So she'll, like, help coach, and she'll come bring me my water in between rounds, you know what I mean? And then she'll kind of do workouts with me, you know, like little workouts. So we got her, like, really involved, and she loves it too, you know? So that helped a lot because now she's not, you know, completely running around. But, I mean, in the beginning, you could put her in a car seat, you know, like a little seat, which is baby, baby, and I could just have her right there while I was training. Then the mats, you know, the mats are good. She was learning how to walk on the mats, you know. It's perfect. She could fall down and there was like the big balls and she would kind of play with that. And it's like an amazing place actually for kids to grow up and, you know, inside a gym. It's like just, you know, like self-awareness with their body and getting, you know what I mean? They're very active in the beginning and the beginning stages of life, you know. So I grew up in the gym. Yeah. I just kind of did it the same way I did. You know what I mean? My dad had a gym, a jujitsu gym since I was born. And I started out like you'd put on a Disney movie in the corner while he was teaching class. You know what I mean? And I would just be like, you know, you're paying attention to the movie, but you're still like listening. Mount, pass the guard, armbar. And you're kind of like looking and you're seeing the games that he's playing and the drills and the warmups. And they're like, oh, that's cool. I want to try and do that. So I've just, we've kind of instilled that same. lifestyle for moa and it's it's helped me a lot you know i honestly i think i'd be way crazier if i didn't have her so even though it's a lot of adversity and difficult being a mom and i mean it's already hard to be a champion with no kids you know what i mean just like all of us are trying to get that belt or that number one in the world you know any sport i think that's the the peak for all athletes you know is to be like the number one if it's the olympics or world champion or whatever um but yeah if i didn't have her i'd probably be like you know

• Speaker #0

  partying and you know you know i mean like young and just have your own money and like independent and you know travel the world and you'd be a brazilian conor mcbrigger god bless him god bless you conor but conor likes to have a good time and that's that's irish like the irish like they have a good time too oh my god oh my god i was wondering because as parents and i've always said this to all my friends that are parents. It's we try to take the best. that our parents did for us, but also the things that were like, oh, I wouldn't have done that to me. And I've learned from that. And then I apply that to break that cycle and to be a better dad to my kids. What things, with all due respect to your dad, but what are some things that you do differently to parent Moa?

• Speaker #1

  I think what I do differently is, I mean, I think I love my dad. He's an amazing dad, you know, but I mean... I try and my dad's a great example as a fighter, training and everything. But I think because I'm a woman and Mo is a girl and I'm just I'm constantly trying to be like the best represent like best example for her. You know what I mean? And my dad was a little bit more like, you know, he never forced me to do anything. You know what I mean? He was everything was just like I took all the decisions, like choices to do what he does by myself. You know what I mean? Like I just wanted to copy him, you know, monkey see, monkey do kind of thing. And Moa, she's a little bit, her personality is like a little bit, I think because we're separated, her and her dad, you know, me and her dad. So it's two different lifestyles. You know, she goes to one house and then she comes back to mine. So at my house, I think I'm a little bit more like stricter, you know, than my dad was. And I'm just trying to like constantly live a life that I like hope that I can, she'll want to be like that. You know what I mean? Like, you know, just try and be a good example, you know. And my dad, he is a great example, but he wasn't like. he's doing until now he's like partying you know and he's just he has a young soul you know what i mean oh sure yeah you know what i mean so he's not like oh what's my daughter gonna think you know and i'm everything i do i'm thinking okay what would my daughter think about this how you know how would i want her to see me you know my dad's just like you know yeah i'm your dad you know he's just way more free and you know you know what i mean it's just i think that's the i try to set her up to be like a well-suspect soul successful woman when she gets older and things like and set those paths you know what I mean so I think I'm a little bit stricter and at home than my dad was and um yeah I mean I kind of tell her more the things that I think that she should do you know the values I think like today's days it's so easy for people to just feel like they can do whatever and they're entitled to so many different things you know and I'm like just trying to instill that in her like No, we have value. Like, how do we believe that we live? You know what I mean? And I try and set that to her at an early age as soon as possible. But I know when she's like older, her friend group, wherever, you know, it can go totally different than what we've done. But I'm trying to instill that as soon as I can, you know.

• Speaker #0

  I think the best you can do as a parent also is instill an openness and communication with your kids. So when Moa is 13, 16, 17, she'll come to you.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, exactly.

• Speaker #0

  Right? Like that's when you know you've won as a parent.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, exactly.

• Speaker #0

  I mean, my daughter is 16. My stepdaughter is about to be 17. My daughter is 16. And so we spend a lot of time together. You know, I'll see her tonight. And I always talk to her about things. And when I do it, my phone is off. My body language is right to her. No TV, no electronics, no nothing. I look at her.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, that's great. Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Thank you. Yes. I want to set the expectation to her that whomever, if she's with a man, a woman, a goat, a Martian, I don't care anymore. I just want that person to be good and to respect her and her time and her heart.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, really good. That's amazing. Right? Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  And I just think that as parents, we have to do that. And it's so easy now to get caught up with this.

• Speaker #1

  Yes.

• Speaker #0

  That let this teach your kids. It drives me crazy to go out to dinner and I'm with my kids and my wife and there's no electronics at the table. But you see everyone else has iPads and they're playing video games and all that. I'm just like, what are you doing? Because you blink, your kid's 18 years old, they're gone. Off to college or travel or get a job and do their thing. It's so precious, the time that we have. And that's what I love what you're doing with MOA. bring her to the gym in a car seat so it's all that she knows yeah really is and i know you have a good balance in terms of having fun and relaxing but also okay now we're going to train yeah yeah exactly exactly 100 no i think that um and

• Speaker #1

  that's one thing that i that's hard for me is just because when i'm um like sometimes we'll go on the street and then we're walking and then people like stop to take a picture and there's some moments that mo was like happy and she's like yeah let me take a picture too And then there's other moments where you can tell she's like, no, mom, don't do this. Like, I don't want, you know, she just wants me to be mom, you know, and not be giving attention to all these like sharing me, I guess, you know. But yeah, I mean, I think just giving that quality time and just, you know, I actually I heard that kids for the quality time, you know, it's like 15 minutes a day, you know, it already makes a huge difference, you know, and it's just like,

• Speaker #0

  yes, that's it. Yeah. How do you it's interesting you bring up when she's like, mom, I want my time with you. hot how do you handle that when you have say because you're a well-known celebrity you know in the in the you know in in the ufc my god it's fantastic and with all due respect but your ass went viral it was hilarious right i said it to blake i go well at least now we know about her and we're both dying laughing and with all due respect it's like but you're fit you're gorgeous you know good for you because you work hard you're welcome and but it's like so many people know you And how do you handle that when Mo was like, Mom, I just want you now. What do you do?

• Speaker #1

  I mean, just like kind of what you said, you know, when we are together, you know, and because I have 50-50, so I spend, besides half of my time, you know, then I still, you know, I need to get that time with quality with her, you know. But I mean, just, I mean, she goes to like the fights with me. I just try and basically take her wherever I can, you know, but it's hard. It's definitely one of the hardest things, you know, and just. getting her, like, try to go to school events and try and be, you know, I help out on her school volunteer and do all that stuff. And she thinks it's so cool, you know, like when I'm there at the school parties and helping out with the other kids and stuff like that. But yeah, I mean, I just did a commercial last week and she had to go with me because there was no school Veterans Day and there was no school. And so she went to the commercial with me, was there doing filming and everything. And you could tell she and I was like. We got to do this so we can go to Legoland. You know what I mean? And she's like, okay, got it. You know, like kind of getting through it, you know, but yeah, it's really, really hard. It's so hard.

• Speaker #0

  Have you, I want to talk for a second about Dana White, who is a big proponent, loves Las Vegas. The guy should be the mayor of Las Vegas. Like he's, he loves it here. He's talked openly about anyone that works at, you know, at UFC. If you have stuff to do with your family, go do it.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  You know. Yes, your job is your job, but your family comes first. Have you ever talked with him and have talks with him about, you know, parenting and being a mom and everything else that's going on?

• Speaker #1

  I mean, we haven't talked too much about like in a sit down conversation now, but he's just always showed so much support about just of how much of a better athlete I became after Moa, you know, and how he's like, you know, how he sees that and he supports that. And he thinks it's really good. like just seeing my evolution. I was a fighter, you know, after I had her, you know, and how I got like way fitter, you know, after having a baby and just, you know, there's like this mom lying motivation, you know, behind it. Because it's not just you you need to worry about, you know, now you have someone that, you know, depends on you for the rest of their, I mean, until they're 18 at least, you know, so it's like.

• Speaker #0

  They'll depend on you forever, honey. We say 18 and we try to convince ourselves at 18 we're good, we're done, but no, they're going to keep coming after. I mean, you want them to.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  To some extent, you want them to come to you for advice. Yeah. Or, you know, if they're down and if they take a gut punch, you know, how do you get through that? And to come to you, that's like the greatest validation of being a parent is that, Mackenzie.

• Speaker #1

  Man. Right? Yes, yes, yes. I'm excited. I'm excited to see how it will be of Mo and her 15, 16 years. You know, I'm really excited to see. I'm hoping we'll get there. but Mo right now, she thinks she's like 20. I don't know. How are your kids? Were they like, how are they?

• Speaker #0

  It's, yes, it's, it's.

• Speaker #1

  Or is that a new generation? No,

• Speaker #0

  honey, I think it is something that as you, with your kids, if you say, oh, like my son is nine, he'll be 10 next month, but he's nine going on 40.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Right. That's a compliment to them and to their brain and to their confidence and their self-esteem that they are far, like... I didn't have my shit together like my kids do now. Yeah. My kids are far cooler even than I am now. I'm not cool. I do this goddamn thing. They're amazing. So, yeah, I think that that's, again, a true testament. I co-parent with my kids and have a decent relationship with their mom. Because we put our kids first.

• Speaker #1

  Yes, that's the biggest thing. Put the kids first.

• Speaker #0

  And I never speak poorly about their mom to them. I don't say a word. And their mom and I could be going at it about something. I never bring it up. Because I'll never disrespect their mom to them.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Ever.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Right? I mean, that's just, you have to do that. Yeah. And you're setting the expectation that, heaven forbid, if Moa has a relationship with somebody, and they have kids, and it doesn't work, she sees how you and her dad work through it.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Yeah, I know. Mine was so turbulent. My divorce was crazy. So definitely, I grew up with divorced parents. They split when I was three, and I had stepdad and stepmom. So all four of them would go to birthday parties and Christmases and just whatever fights they did have. If they did, I never knew any about it. I didn't know anything about it. So they did a great. job of just loving letting me feel loved and like welcomed at both houses when i would go back and forth and you know what i mean they just worked good together you know there was never you know my stepmom like helped raise me and my stepfather was always involved too and you know what i mean just it was good my stepdad would go train at my dad's gym jiu-jitsu and you know what i mean it was just like they would all go to my christmas party christmas and thanksgiving right all together you know and and When I got divorced, I thought that it would be something like that. And it wasn't. It was completely different. It was like, so it was a big shock for me. So, I mean, the biggest thing I think is just, excuse me, just like what you said is putting the kids first, you know, and, and okay, where does she want to, does she want to go to like a birthday party? Okay. Can you take her? Can you not try to have that communication and be able to do like the best? So that way, cause she has part of me and part of him in her, you know what I mean? And if I talk bad about a certain aspect of him or that he's like this or that. She's going to see that in herself. You know what I mean? And I did some, like, co-parenting counseling. Good. Yeah. And she told me about that, you know, like, that if you talk bad about the parent, like, to the kid, you know. It's one thing, like, us, you know, the adults. But to the kid, like, she's going to not like that part that you're talking bad about, the parent, in herself, you know. And that's just going to, you know, and she's always going to love her dad and me and her mom. So it's just trying to get, you know, have her. Have the best and most stable and I think structure. It's good for kids to have structure.

• Speaker #0

  Oh my God. Yeah. Well, it's so easy. It's so easy now for kids not to have structure.

• Speaker #1

  Yes, I know.

• Speaker #0

  With all the distractions in the world right now. And it's even harder now to be a parent.

• Speaker #1

  Yes.

• Speaker #0

  I mean, I'm Gen X. I'm old, but I have young kids. And so they keep me young. And I am like you present in my kids' lives. Like I plan on going tonight. I can't go. My daughter, she goes to performing arts high school. She got a call back for one of the performances. Needs a ride tonight at 630. Of course I'm coming to get it because her mom reached out to me. Can you get Alex at 630? Absolutely. I can. Yeah. So I'll text Blake and say, I love you. I can't make it. Yeah. And, but that's like your family comes first. Right. Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. That's great.

• Speaker #0

  Do you think you'd ever have more kids?

• Speaker #1

  Well, now that I won the belt, I was thinking, you know, like, oh man, I want my focus is to get the belt to be the championship, you know? Um. So I didn't want to go through this whole process again. Now I would have, probably I would have kids, but after I retire, you know, so now I'd kind of just be more present, you know, I would like to be even more present because even though me and Moa were together all the time, but she's still kind of doing my life, you know what I mean? And even though she loves it, you know, but she's still doing my things, you know, I take her like to events, I take her to the fights, you know, so we'd have a good time and everything, but it's still my world, you know what I mean? and Um, now after retiring, I would like to be able to just kind of be like a stay at home mom a little bit and just enjoy a little bit of relaxing and trying, you know, spend more time at the house. I'm traveling all the time.

• Speaker #0

  Well, I was going to say, do you like, I guess, and it's a tough question, but I'm going to ask it. And if you don't want to answer it, it's fine. Cause I love you by the way. Fucking great. It's, do you know like how much left you have in the tank to say? I've got five more years in me to do this. Or is it just, you're going to go with your gut and you're going to say, you know what? After I reach a certain point in my life and after a certain fight, I'm just gonna be like, you know, I'm done. I'm done.

• Speaker #1

  And I know that's so hard. I mean, I just renewed a contract. So I just signed it like what? Six more fights. So I plan on staying or at least two, three years. I see myself doing it. I'm 32 right now. So I think about. I mean 35, I think 35, 36 would be good. But yeah, I mean, I think it's just always about like what we can accomplish, you know, and what kind of goals and if maybe more goals keep coming, you know, but I've definitely, I'm already working like just trying to get. Like, how do you say, you know, getting financial, you know, stability outside of fighting and just having stuff.

• Speaker #0

  Mackenzie Inc.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  It's not Mackenzie the fighter. It's Mackenzie the corporation.

• Speaker #1

  Exactly. Exactly. Right. Yeah, exactly.

• Speaker #0

  And that's what I the best thing I could give you free advice is in the beginning, say no to almost nothing. Like, listen, at least listen to people. If they pitch you and people that you trust. And or people that are, have a track record of doing really good things, but it's, it's people that you enjoy spending time with. And if they say, Hey, we're looking at doing this little thing right here and we think you'd fit in this way, go, okay, tell me more.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Nice. Yeah. That's good. You know, cause it's,

• Speaker #0

  there isn't a game plan for how we grow up. Yeah. And everyone says there is, there's not. And some of the most successful people I know always say yes to something in the beginning and say, all right, tell me more, tell me more. And then you might go. not a good fit and this is why or you go you know what let's give that a shot yeah yeah that's really good you know i but i think that you're right because again like look at like you know mcgregor's got is it whiskey or something he's got like i'm killing it yeah oh my god yes and good for him you know but he's a guy that again you're a fighter so you're a risk taker already to hop into the optagon that's a risk already my friend and so The same thing is going to be in business as an entrepreneur to say, okay, what's something I'm passionate about? And I know it might be like a line of, you know, of MMA gear.

• Speaker #1

  Bikinis.

• Speaker #0

  Or bikinis.

• Speaker #1

  Yeah, I would really like to get into that. Like bikini, have my own bikini line or even just like a limited edition or something like that. You know, a partnership. Yeah, and things like that, you know. Outside of fighting too, of course, maybe some gloves or workout clothes too, you know. But kind of just the other part of McKenzie that's like, you know, beach and, you know, dancing. You know, I like wine. I love wine. So maybe I like to get like a vineyard and have like make a wine company.

• Speaker #0

  And it's also, you know, you have, like you said, like another three years-ish, maybe more, maybe less, to make your money. Like the base of your money that's going to carry you through to be like, okay, what can I do in that time to also plant seeds? You know, you're a farmer. I'm going to plant more seeds of different things and then see what bears fruit.

• Speaker #1

  Yep.

• Speaker #0

  And what goes from there.

• Speaker #1

  Yep. A hundred percent. Right? For sure. Yeah, definitely. I mean, I think going into the UFC, like starting MMA, you know, I had won all my world titles in jujitsu. And so I'm like, okay, let me try this new. I said the yes. You know, Sean called me and he was like, oh, you should really go into the UFC. He came out, flew out and came talk to me. He's like, you can sign with the UFC. We'll sign you. Try a couple of fights. See if you like it. You know, I'm like, OK, I'll try it. You know, so I wasn't even thinking about being a champion yet. You know, I was just learning how to get punched in the face, you know, and how to punch people. And then, you know, the. The goal, it starts growing on you. Because you're like, first the goal is just to learn how to punch. Then the second goal is like, okay, now I kind of know how to punch. I feel comfortable. Let me try and get some fights and put my game against the people. And as you start going more and then the objective, the goal to be like a champion started growing on me. Like, okay, now it's starting to be like it's not too far away now. It's getting closer. So now that we won the belt. I feel like I could be, you know, I'm super happy, but I feel like I can really have a good reign as a champion, you know? Yeah. And I would like to have a lot of title defenses and, you know, so it's just, but they say for the fighters, the hardest part is to know the right time to stop, you know?

• Speaker #0

  We'll look at, I mean, there's a lot of people that, you know, they get CTE and the whole thing and you're like, wow. You know, a lot of football players here in the United States that, you know, stuff happens afterwards that they never knew when to stop.

• Speaker #1

  Yes.

• Speaker #0

  and Do you think you'll know when or do you have people in your corner that you trust and love that if they say, Mackenzie, it's time to stop. Yeah. Will you listen to them?

• Speaker #1

  Yeah. Yeah, for sure. I definitely have a good, you know, team in my corner. You know, my dad, Coach Perillo, my manager, Tiki, you know, so I think. Great. I think. For sure. Well, I'll definitely, they'll have that conversation. We'll have that conversation for sure.

• Speaker #0

  And hopefully never. Hopefully it's, you know, you're good. The other question I wanted to ask is when you started. uh ufc do you remember the first time you really got punched in the face and and how did that feel yeah i mean i got punched a lot but the the first one that i got like that hurt was against it was a main event and um it was like the first punch of the fight so it was like in the first like 20 seconds and she did like this overhand that she has this really good over like kind of loopy overhand right And I slipped and I went right into it. You know what I mean? Like I slipped like as if it was going to be a straight, you know, but she looped it, you know, and it got, I went like blind for like a good like a minute in this eye. And I thought that like, you know, that's always something I thought like, man, my retinator or something, you know, like got like detachment or something like that, you know. And that one hurt so bad. And then a mandolin was too. That was like two fights, three fights after that. And that. she punched that one to hurt too it was the same eye but it got like the orbit the the bone outside of it yep and i just like i didn't knock me out or anything but i like just fell back to the floor and i'm like oh this hurts so bad and i'm trying to like get the pain to pass a little bit and then it slowly went away but all the other punches you don't really feel you really don't feel anything you don't know is it just adrenaline so much adrenaline yeah as soon as the bell finishes like the fight's over you start to feel everything you know like before they even lift your hand up you're already like limping and your face is hurting your hand is killing you you know but then in the moment it's just so much adrenaline it needs to be like a really really good punch to like feel it you know because i broke my nose i didn't feel that um like i like i i felt i thought it was weird i could feel it like i moved it and it went down the bone so like i kind of cut a little bit through but it didn't hurt you know so um

• Speaker #1

  yeah just so much adrenaline yeah it's crazy so my my it hurts more in the training well i was gonna say training is gonna be crazy yeah because you don't have adrenaline and you're like going at it and then it just hurts it just hurts like a lot my other question is the opposite of my first of my initial question when was the first time you landed a solid punch on someone you went oh that feels good like I just rung her bell oh man I think

• Speaker #0

  I think um my fight in brazil and at ufc rio i did in may it was my second fight in the ufc and that was like the first one because i i landed like this this punch and then she fell down and it was um i jumped on her and i started hitting and then i got the choke so i didn't get like technically the knockout but she was basically like she was wobbly and that was the first time i ever like dropped someone with a punch you know and it how'd that feel man it felt great It felt really good. You know, you just saw, I mean, even though at that time my striking was so bad, so it's kind of luck. It just landed. You know, I wasn't like really, I mean, I was trying to land it, but you know, it wasn't like how technical I am now, you know, like setting it up, you know, just like hoping I get it, you know? But yeah, it was amazing to feel that. I was like, man, I want to get that more, like more times. I hope I can get actual real knockout. You will. That's a goal of mine to get a knockout.

• Speaker #1

  You absolutely will. One day. You absolutely will.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Do you get approached by other moms who are you know in that are you know either brazilian jiu-jitsu or you know looking at maybe ufc aspirations tons tons that's that's what i'm that's why i'm so happy i feel so um like fulfilled

• Speaker #0

  you know just because one of my biggest things was just kind of to get jiu-jitsu to a bigger platform and represent jiu-jitsu you know like you can be a champion like multiple time world champion in jiu-jitsu. But that's just for our community, you know what I mean? Like in our world of people, you know? So it's like, or someone you know does it or your kids do it or maybe your husband or your wife does it. So you train too, you know? But UFC, MMA, you know, it's like people that don't do any martial arts watch it. You know what I mean? So my whole goal was to try and just spread jujitsu and get more people and get like... you know maybe girlfriends or moms that are watching you know because their son's watching or something like that i'm like oh what does she oh she she fights but she goes like on the ground and you know didn't obviously i didn't get pregnant like to represent the moms or like as i go you know but my whole story you know it's just kind of like man if if that helps you know with the woman in in you know even the kids you know that i'm happy and the most thing i get is messages like or from the guys like man my girlfriend loves you she watches your fights you know or moms that are like you know oh i'm inspired by you know your story and i want to get into training and they do it with their kids too you know like they train together um and then just people saying you know like that their kids too are big fans you know so it's really really good to see that you know with woman and that that it worked out it worked out the way i wanted it to work out you know and so i'm really happy about it and um yeah that i think a lot of girls started getting into fighting or watching it or interested in it. I hope because of some of the fights that they saw me doing it, you know, and they're like, oh, she's like a regular woman, you know, like me, you know, like as a mom. And for sure, I go through the same stuff like. You know, your kids like saying no to you all the time. You know what I mean? So I like go through the same stuff. They identify a lot with me. You know what I mean? With moms and stuff like that.

• Speaker #1

  That's amazing.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  So to pivot from moms that look up to you, who's fighting right now that you're just like, oh, they're good.

• Speaker #0

  I mean, Valentina just fought. You know, she did an amazing. performance against waylee so that was crazy because i really thought that waylee was gonna do good against her i was i was betting on waylee so i was like man i really think waylee's gonna win um and then i mean natalia silva she's a good friend of mine and she's in reserve i think she's probably next to fight for the belt against valentina and she's just amazing she's gonna be a future champ for sure um and then in my division I mean, Weili, if she comes back down, but she's an amazing fighter. Joanna, she stopped fighting, but Joanna, they had one of the best fights, like Hall of Fame fights for sure. But yeah, it's just there's so many good girls that are coming into it. It's like growing so much. So it's like all these like contender series, the girls, like their knockouts. I'm like, man, the new generation of girls are like beasts, you know? It's wild. It's crazy. And the UFC only has, the first UFC was the year I was born on 1993. So it's 32 years old. the UFC you know MMA well not MMA in general but UFC you know um so it's like it's still it's a new sport you know 32 years isn't that old I think in my mind for you know a sport and stuff like that so it's like how much better the fighters are gonna get you know you already see a difference a little bit from the first ones to now you know we're like they're kind of like brawling back then oh my god yes which was fun it was so cool to watch and everything and really good but it's just It's evolved so much. And I'm like, man, another like 30 years from now, it's going to be crazy. Bananas. Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Bananas.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  Where do you see yourself 30 years from now? If you were like looking at crystal ball and saying, all right, McKenzie is going to be like, where are you going to be? What are you going to be doing 30 years from now?

• Speaker #0

  I'll probably be like in Brazil. I'll probably be back and forth Brazil and the United States. But I just want to be like relaxing on a beach. That's my type of like. you know traveling i love to travel eat but you know just kind of outside i mean i'll always be like a healthy lifestyle i think i think it's just it's i've i've done this since i'm three you know what i mean but it's just it gets to a point where i'm just like when i do finally stop you know i'm gonna be relaxed you know i just want to be pressing go i want a piece of chocolate cake Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Hopefully I can just like. maybe be a grandma and have i i wanted to have like eight kids when i was little you know when i was younger so i wanted to have like a big legacy and just you know i'd be like that grandma that with like my husband at like a at my beach house and then like all the all the grandkids and they come with their husbands and wives and all their kids kids and they all come in for christmas at my house and all at grandma's house and i can just see all the all the all my generations you know your legacy yeah the legacy you know and i was like man but i have moa so that's one well and you know what sometimes moa is all you need exactly all we need is a moa yeah in our lives and we are far better versions of ourselves because of it yeah exactly you know yeah and whether whether she goes into you

• Speaker #1

  know mma or she goes into the corporate world, you know. And it's just, I think that you're setting such a great example for her of a strong, powerful, confident woman. The world needs more of those.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  You know, I think, and I think whatever you do, you're going to be very successful at it when you, you know, end up leaving your current profession.

• Speaker #0

  Thank you. You're welcome.

• Speaker #1

  I think it's great. Thank you for coming in. Yes. You're wonderful.

• Speaker #0

  Shout out to Blake Wynn for getting us together.

• Speaker #1

  And whenever you're in town, you have an open seat here.

• Speaker #0

  Yes, thank you so much.

• Speaker #1

  To come back in because I'd love to check in with you just to be like, as a mom, okay, now Moa is this age. And what type of challenges do you have? Because I will let you know this one because of having, you know, a stepdaughter and a daughter. They're usually wonderful until when they hit about 10 or 11. It's like this alien pod person comes. And my sweet baby girl is kind of like, and all of a sudden it's this eye rolls and this harumphs and this like sigh and they look at you and they get judgy. And when they start to have like their feminine starts happening and all that, you're like,

• Speaker #0

  ah. Yes, yes.

• Speaker #1

  And you become much more reactive to them instead of saying, how are you? I'm fine.

• Speaker #0

  Yes.

• Speaker #1

  which a 10-year-old girl saying, I'm fine. It means fuck you. That's exactly what it means, Mackenzie. Don't ask me.

• Speaker #0

  Don't talk to me. Do not talk to me.

• Speaker #1

  Do not talk to me. So I hope and would love for us to we stay in touch that, you know, we have like an annual check-in. Whenever you're in Vegas to go, okay, so tell me about how things are going. And I'm happy to share like my experiences to help you out as well.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, I'm so interested in how it is with you for like as the father, you know, and you have boys and girls or just girls?

• Speaker #1

  I have a stepdaughter. a daughter and then my son is about to be 10 10 and so do you see a big difference with like how you parent the the girl compared to the boy and things like that my my daughter is much more independent and i would say this with the kids in the room and i've had them on the podcast my daughter is much more independent she's much more she's fierce and she just does her thing and is like the leader of her friend group and is very empathetic and wants to help them out and figure things out for them. And my son is just a cuddler and a lover and he's a redhead, blue eyes, just got braces last week. And so he's, and I'm holding his hand and he still holds my hand.

• Speaker #0

  Ooh, that's a, that's a good, you're like, yes, I still got it.

• Speaker #1

  I've said he can be 30 if he still wants to hold my fucking hand. He can, I don't care. He gets great grades. He's a good student. He's a wonderful, wonderful young man, but different than, he doesn't have that like. that his sister has. And that's okay. Yeah,

• Speaker #0

  yeah.

• Speaker #1

  He's just a big old teddy bear because he's been raised by, you know, by women for the most part and then me. And so I think that there's a big difference there, but you always just celebrate the good stuff. Something that I do with my kids is I often say to them when we're alone, how am I doing as your dad? And they'll, oh, you're doing great. Okay, that's nice. But what can I do better?

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, nice.

• Speaker #1

  Like an interview. and like if you if you have a business and you get all five star reviews every day that's nice but what about a three star review and tell me what we did wrong then we could work on that yeah like as a fighter you're always tweaking what you're doing always technique too much almost right you overthink it sometimes right yeah so of course you just pull the reins back a little bit and so it is as a parent to often check in with moa and when it's just you and her no distractions and look at her and go, honey, how am I doing as your mom? And she's going to say you're doing great. But you want that eventually when she has that trust in you to go, you know what, mom, you're doing great. But you told me I couldn't have orange juice this one day. Why? Why did you do that? And you go, honey, this is why. And then you'll think about this conversation. Oh, my God, Jeff Fargo knew what the hell he's talking about. That's when you have that watershed breakthrough moment with your child. when they feel vulnerable enough. to say to you, you're perfect. I love you. But there's this little thing right here that I just, I wonder about this. So that's my answer. Like my son asks me questions all the time.

• Speaker #0

  Really?

• Speaker #1

  People would be like, it would be maddening to them. I love it. I love it. I answer his, and I always say afterwards, does that make sense? He'll go, yep. Okay. Thank you. So I always check in with him after I give him an answer. to make sure he understands my answer.

• Speaker #0

  Oh, that's good.

• Speaker #1

  From talking on his level.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, that's so good.

• Speaker #1

  And I over-explain things so he understands. But I never baby talked. We never baby talked our kids. Yeah. So they're advanced in terms of how they speak and how they think.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, which is probably good. Like when you're at the table, like a restaurant, and they're having conversations, they can talk with different types of people. Oh, yeah. They do it themselves.

• Speaker #1

  I see kids 16, 17, 18, and their parents are ordering for them.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  What? What? My son is nine. And I'm like, Jack, go ahead. Tell them and say, you know, may I please have. And then they, you know, and then always say thank you. Always say thank you whenever someone comes to fill your water up. Because they're working just as hard, if not harder than I am at what I do. And always give everyone respect.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, that's great.

• Speaker #1

  Always.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah, great.

• Speaker #1

  That's it. So we can have a parent therapy session whenever you want. Yeah,

• Speaker #0

  that's really good.

• Speaker #1

  This has been great. I know that we'll get you out of here because you're in a time crunch, but thanks for coming in. It means a lot. Again, I'm not someone the last fight I went to was like 20 years ago.

• Speaker #0

  Ah,

• Speaker #1

  you need to go. Lake was like, you got to come, so I will go. Maybe like if you have a fight sometime, especially if it's here, that I would go to because I just think you're great and I just love the person that you are. And from one parent to another, keep doing what you're doing.

• Speaker #0

  Thank you. Thank you so much.

• Speaker #1

  The world's a better place with you in it and with how you're parenting. It's awesome.

• Speaker #0

  Thank you. It's not easy. And definitely I didn't, I wasn't born knowing how to be a mom. It's definitely a learning process, you know, both, I think for, I think for all parents, right? Oh my God, yes. They give you all these books and preparation and everything. And it's like, your kid is like totally different than everything. It's, you know, every kid is different. And it's like. I see parents that they say they have three kids and they raise them all the same and they're all completely different. Absolutely. You know what I mean? So it's really a rewarding and amazing blessing just to be a mom and a dad. It's wonderful. And to see this child grow up and have their personality and make their decisions. Moa is like that with me. She's like, but why? Lots of questions. And then she asked me. okay, but why? And then I respond to her and then she keeps going and going and going until we get back to like, well, how was the earth made? You know, like God, you know, and I'm just like, I don't know. But that's such a great,

• Speaker #1

  but that's a great quality that she has is that she's inquisitive and she's asking all those questions. That's wonderful.

• Speaker #0

  And she's a Gemini. So very curious, you know,

• Speaker #1

  it's, it's wonderful because, and also we'll end on this. The thing that drives me crazy with my kids. If I ask them something, they go, I don't know. I go, that's not an answer.

• Speaker #0

  I know.

• Speaker #1

  That's giving up. Yeah. Don't ever tell me I don't know. You know. Think about it more.

• Speaker #0

  Yes.

• Speaker #1

  You might not know, but then admit that and do it in a more articulate way to ask me how you want me to help you out. So think your way through it. Yeah. I'm not going to do it for you, but I'll help you navigate.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah.

• Speaker #1

  As your parent. Yeah.

• Speaker #0

  Yeah. Stimulating them. Stimulate them. Yes. You're so good.

• Speaker #1

  All right, honey. Thank you.

• Speaker #0

  Thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

• Speaker #1

  My pleasure.