LOS ANGELES – Mackenzie Dern is no longer part of The MMA Lab, and the undefeated strawweight prospect said she has no plans of going back.

Dern (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who meets Amanda Cooper (3-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC 224 this month, revealed today that she was asked to leave The MMA Lab in Arizona after head coach John Crouch apparently requested her departure. As a result, Dern prepared for her upcoming fight in Southern California, splitting time between Checkmat BJJ Academy and Black House.

“In relation with The (MMA) Lab, after my last fight coach (John) Crouch, he just invited me to leave the team,” Dern today told reporters, including MMAjunkie, at a media luncheon in Los Angeles. “Really we don’t have like a 100 percent understanding. I think he knows his decisions more than me. I think it was just the consistency. He wanted me there more often than what I was.”

Although Dern had previously expressed an enjoyment for training at The MMA Lab, and has received rave reviews from teammates such as former UFC champ Benson Henderson, she said she’s “definitely” not going to rejoin the team in the future. Dern said she’s happy with her new training situation and intends to keep her fight camps in California moving forward.

“Everything happens for a reason, and I’m really happy,” Dern said. “I’m happy here. Like I said, the mindset and being confident, if you’re happy, too, with where you are, then that’s the best. Here’s a little bit similar lifestyle than I have in Brazil. I almost went back to Brazil to live there. I was even training with Jose Aldo and everything to see if I would be there. I have this lifestyle now in California which gives me that good balance.

“I’m not the person that the next day I’m back in the academy. I like to be on the beach, relax and miss to be on the mats and want to be on the mats. I don’t like the pressure to be on the mats. I’ve been on the mats since I was 3 years old. For me, at 25, when I have the time to rest, then the next time I want to train.”

When contacted by MMAjunkie about Dern’s comments, Crouch declined to offer specifics into the decision but said he would continue to support the 25-year-old grappling ace in her future endeavors.

“She was struggling to make it back and forth to Arizona, and I thought it was better that she just set up her camp in California, where she really enjoys being.

“I wish her the best. I know she’s going to do great in her jiu-jitsu career and in her MMA career, and we’ll be cheering for her.”

UFC 224 takes place May 12 at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Dern vs. Cooper airs on the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FX and UFC Fight Pass.

The fight taking place in Brazil represents a significant moment for Dern. She’s spent much time in the country throughout her lifetime, but it will be the first time she competes there under MMA rules. The multi-time jiu-jitsu world champion said she wants to defeat Cooper in a manner that makes the country proud.

“For sure, this fight I want to submit fast,” Dern said. “For Amanda, I want to submit fast. I’ll be in Brazil, I’m a jiu-jitsu fighter, I want to show jiu-jitsu – so I’m going to finish as fast as possible this fight.”

For more on UFC 224, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.