Explore the latest developments concerning Mackenzie Dern admits.
Mackenzie Dern admits she may not have been ready to face Zhang Weili, but title win at UFC 321 can change that
The competitive side of Mackenzie Dern hopes to one day share the octagon with Zhang Weili, but if it happened now, she believes it wouldn’t be the right time, even if Zhang didn’t make the move up to flyweight.
Now Dern steps into her first UFC title fight this Saturday as she faces Virna Jandiroba in the co-main event of UFC 321 with the vacant strawweight championship on the line. Zhang vacated the belt to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title in the co-main event of next month’s UFC 322 event.
Dern respects everything Zhang has accomplished at 115 pounds, and that’s why the timing wouldn’t have been right to face the multi-time divisional champ at this point in her career.
Virna Jandiroba believes Zhang Weili returns to face UFC 321 vacant strawweight title winner
If successful at UFC 321, Virna Jandiroba hopes to get an opportunity to erase any doubts about who is the best strawweight on the planet.
Zhang Weili left the 115-pound title vacant to prepare for a flyweight title challenge against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322. Saturday at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, Jandiroba (22-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) will share the cage with Mackenzie Dern in a rematch, but this time with much higher stakes, with the vacant strawweight title on the line.
Should she defeat Dern (15-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) to avenge a prior decision loss and become the new champion, Jandiroba understands that there will be some who question what would happen between her and Zhang. While the Brazilian grappler doesn't believe that Zhang's absence would necessarily loom over her title reign if they never fought, she thinks it's likely that the now-former champ will return to strawweight regardless of the result against Shevchenko.
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Mackenzie Dern’s Redemption Quest: UFC 321 Title Fight and the Road to Strawweight Supremacy
Mackenzie Dern stands at the edge of a defining chapter in her mixed martial arts journey. This Saturday, under the bright lights of UFC 321, she will square off against Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strawweight championship—a title that recently became available when Zhang Weili, the former champion, set her sights on the flyweight belt and left the strawweight throne open (Reuters).
For Dern, this fight is more than just another bout; it’s the culmination of years of perseverance, growth, and self-reflection. After 15 UFC appearances and a previous unanimous decision win over Jandiroba in 2020, Dern returns to the octagon with renewed purpose. The stakes have never been higher, and the pressure is palpable.