"Mack-Judo" Is Coming for the Contract: Why Mackenzie Stiller Is Built to Win TUF 34

The Ultimate Fighter has produced some of MMA's biggest stars, and Season 34 — premiered June 14 on Paramount+ — may be about to add another name to that list. Mackenzie "Mack-Judo" Stiller, a 26-year-old strawweight from Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, arrives in Las Vegas with a 6-1 professional record and wins across both Bellator and the LFA. (Shaw Local) She's not just happy to be there. She's there to win. A Lifetime of Martial Arts, Compressed Into a Highlight Reel Stiller's nickname isn't just branding — it's a biography. She began practicing judo at age 8, eventually earning a black belt and competing in more than 200 judo bouts, taking home several gold medals along the way. (Shaw Local) She didn't stop there. As a teenager she picked up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, earning a second-stripe brown belt, and also competed in high school wrestling, where she won a folkstyle state title. (Shaw Local) That's three elite grappling disciplines before she ever stepped foot in a professional cage. The Record Speaks for Itself Stiller went 4-0 as an amateur in 2022 before turning professional in 2023, going 2-1 in Bellator and 3-0 in the LFA. (Shaw Local) The most telling number in her résumé? Five of her six professional victories have come via submission. (Shaw Local) That's not a coincidence — that's a fighter with a complete grappling game who knows exactly how to end fights. The Coach Who Saw It Coming Stiller trains at One Touch Fight Team & Academy in Woodstock, Illinois, under coach Brett Brendel, a Woodstock native and Iraq War veteran with over a decade of MMA experience. (Shaw Local) He's watched her grow from one of his first students into a legitimate contender, and he doesn't mince words about her ceiling. "I think Mackenzie has a tremendous chance of winning the entire thing," Brendel said. "She's going to see that she's at a world-class level, and I think she already knows it. When Mackenzie feels what she's bringing to these people who're already there, she's going to realize she doesn't just belong there — she can take the whole thing." (Shaw Local) He's equally blunt about her standing in the division: "Mackenzie is a top-10 fighter in my opinion. At 115, strawweight, she's a world champ. Judo girls love being close, and Mackenzie was able to basically steamroll through everybody in her amateur career to the point where no one wanted to fight us." (Shaw Local) Why Judo Works on TUF The TUF house format is uniquely suited to a fighter like Stiller. Tournament brackets reward fighters who can control pace, dictate where the fight goes, and finish — exactly what a judo-based grappler with five submission wins does. Coaches Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping are slated to lead the two teams in Season 34 (Shaw Local) , and both will immediately recognize the danger Stiller poses in the clinch and on the mat. In women's strawweight, where elite wrestling can be the great equalizer, a fighter with Stiller's combination of judo throws, Brazilian jiu-jitsu submissions, and high school wrestling credentials is a nightmare matchup for nearly anyone on the roster. More Than a Fighter Beyond competing, Stiller serves as an instructor at One Touch Fight Team & Academy, helping teach kids alongside Brendel. (Shaw Local) Her coach describes her as someone whose resilience and personality make her as compelling to watch as she is to root for. "I think she'll get notoriety out of this because she's a very likable person," Brendel said. "For all of the things that have happened in her life, for her to still have a positive attitude toward life is a testament to her spirit. I think she could be an inspiration to a lot of people when they hear her story." (Shaw Local) The Stage Is Set The Ultimate Fighter has run for over 33 seasons and has consistently been the launching pad for fighters who go on to compete at the highest levels of the sport. (Wikipedia) Season 34 gives Mackenzie Stiller the biggest stage of her career — and everything about her background, her record, and her skill set suggests she intends to make the most of it. Watch for "Mack-Judo" when TUF 34 dropped June 14 on Paramount+. The gold tooth is easy to spot. The submissions come even faster.