On Saturday night (Oct. 25, 2025) at UFC 321, Mackenzie Dern defeated Virna Jandiroba on “Fight Island” to take Zhang Weili’s recently-vacated women’s Strawweight title. It was a back and forth affair but Dern was just more active in all areas, taking the fight with 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 scores.
“I feel a little sore, but I feel amazing,” Dern told the assembled media. “I think we left it all out there, we really gave all our best to try and get the fight. It’s like a dream come true.”
“But I don’t know, every time I reach a goal, I always make a new one. So I’m already thinking about getting back in the gym, getting better, and I know I’m going to have a huge target on my back now. So I want to make sure I’m ready for what’s coming next.”
The future of the division now awaits the results of UFC 322, when former strawweight champ Weili Zhang attempts to take Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight title. If she’s unsuccessful, a return to 115 pounds is possible. If that doesn’t happen, Mackenzie hopes to face No. 2 ranked Tatiana Suarez next.
“I don’t know how much say I have now being a champion,” Dern admitted. “I don’t know how much my word and my decisions get into play. But I’m here to defend it, so whoever gets sent to me, I’ll be ready for.”
“I don’t know if Weili [returns], but I would definitely like to fight Tatiana. Maybe she gets one more fight in, but yeah, I want to get it. I want to have a couple more fights with some grapplers.”
“This is really where the hard part starts,” Dern said. “But I’m excited. Whoever is going to come next, they’re going to make me evolve so much as a fighter, as a grappler becoming a fighter. And all these people studying me, I have to redo myself every single fight so they can never find the right way to beat me.”
