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          UFC prospect Mackenzie Dern announces she's pregnant

          • Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff WriterFeb 22, 2019, 09:43 AM ET
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            • MMA columnist for ESPN.com
            • Analyst for "MMA Live"
            • Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun

          UFC strawweight prospect Mackenzie Dern will place her fighting career on hold, as she announced her pregnancy on Friday.

          View this post on Instagram

          God makes everything so perfect! I am so happy to be able to share this news! I'm going to be a Mom! I love so much our family and now I have one more HUGE motivation for inside and outside the ring!! Thank you God for this blessing 🙏🏼 @santoswesley ❤️ I also want to thank all my fans and sponsors for the support during all the life phases and I can't wait to be back in the ring! 🥊🥋 • • • • • Deus faz tudo perfeito!!! Estou muito feliz em poder dividir com vcs essa notícia! Vou ser Mãe!!!! Amo tanto essa minha família, agora tenho mais uma motivação dentro e fora do octógono!! Que esse/essa bebe venha com muita saúde. Agradeço Deus por essa benção 🙏🏼 @santoswesley ❤️. Também quero agradecer todos meus fãs e patrocinadores pelo apoio durante todas as fases da vida e não vejo a hora de voltar as lutas🥋🥊

          A post shared by Mackenzie Dern🇺🇸🇧🇷 (@mackenziedern) on

          Dern, 25, announced the news via Instagram. Dern's boyfriend, Brazilian surfer Wesley Santos, was tagged in the post.

          "God makes everything so perfect!" Dern wrote. "I am so happy to be able to share this news! I'm going to be a Mom! I love so much our family and now I have one more HUGE motivation for inside and outside the ring!! Thank you God for this blessing.

          "I also want to thank all my fans and sponsors for the support during all the life phases and I can't wait to be back in the ring!!"

          Prior to the announcement, Dern (7-0) was looking to book a spring return to the Octagon. Sources told ESPN earlier this year she intended to stay in the 115-pound division despite badly missing weight for her most recent fight in May.

          A decorated Brazilian jiu- jitsu black belt, Dern, who lives in Phoenix, is considered one of the top young talents in the UFC. She debuted with the promotion in March 2018. She has finished four of her seven wins via submission.