Mackenzie Dern wasted little time assessing the financial landscape after the UFC unveiled its revamped bonus structure. Just three days after the promotion doubled its performance payouts, the newly crowned strawweight champion spoke with MMA Junkie about how the changes could reshape her trajectory toward a milestone few fighters have reached.
Mackenzie Dern Eyes Charles Oliveira’s Finish Record as UFC Raises Bonus Stakes
Sitting at seven performance bonuses, tied with Ronda Rousey for second most among women in UFC history, Dern now has her sights set on Charles Oliveira’s finish record and the bonus haul that comes with it.
The UFC announced the bonus changes on January 24, 2026, marking the first significant adjustment to its compensation structure since 2013. Performance of the Night awards doubled from $50,000 to $100,000 each, while a new $25,000 finish bonus emerged for fighters who earn knockouts or submissions without securing one of the main prizes. The shift mirrors the organization’s new broadcasting era following its seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount.
Oliveira holds court atop the UFC’s bonus hierarchy with records that stand alone: 21 total finishes, 17 submission wins, and 14 performance bonuses. The lightweight veteran extended those marks as recently as October 2025, submitting Mateusz Gamrot in Brazil to add to his collection. For Dern, who has built her reputation around submission techniques and finishing opponents, the financial incentives now align with her strengths.
“I’m planning on trying to catch up to Charlie’s do Bronx with the most bonuses in the UFC,” she explained to MMA Junkie. “I really want to get a lot of submissions and hopefully a knockout.”
The timing works in Dern’s favor. The new $25,000 finish bonus applies to any fighter landing a finish outside the four main bonuses, a structure that could add up quickly for someone with Dern’s finishing rate. A $100,000 performance bonus or the $25,000 finish bonus represents transformative money. Dern, now operating as a title holder with better pay terms, saw the bigger picture.
“For the sport it’s amazing. I think we’re going to see lots of submissions and finishes.”
Mackenzie Dern is now at the top of the mountain in the UFC but the newly minted titleholder is prepared for the true grind that now awaits her. This was discussed by the 115 pound champion in the UFC 321 post-fight press conference following her win. Dern bested Virna Jandiroba for the second time to claim the vacant strawweight belt in the Abu Dhabi-based co-main event bout.
It was massive moment for the decorated jiu jitsu player who holds huge championship distinctions in multiple martial arts disciplines now. As she touched on the journey to get here while also realizing that things will get that much more arduous on the road ahead, with video footage provided from MMA Junkie, Dern said,
“They say it’s hard to get the belt but it’s even harder to stay at the top and defend it. The hard part starts now, but I’m excited for whoever comes next. I think facing new challengers is going to make me evolve so much as a fighter.”
“Grapplers, strikers, all these people studying me—I have to redo myself every single fight so they can never find the right way to beat me.”
Mackenzie Dern mentions fighter she is intrigued to defend her title against
Mackenzie Dern had not even left the Etihad Arena yet before expressing thoughts on who she thinks her first title defense will be against. Dern prefaced her comments, at the same UFC 321 post-fight press conference embedded above, by saying that she was not sure how much say she gets as the champion now but is eying former champions and former title challengers alike.
One of these fighters is Tatiana Suarez with Dern indicating she would be intrigued about testing her grappling against someone like Suarez who has such a strong wrestling pedigree.
Zhang Weili was also mentioned by Dern with a bit of an asterisk saying the new strawweight champion is unsure if the former titleholder in that weight class will return. Weili caused the belt to be vacated in the first place as she moves up in an attempt to claim Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight belt at UFC 322 next month.
With Weili Zhang vacating the UFC women’s strawweight championship to challenge Valentina Shevchenko in three weeks, it is now the Mackenzie Dern era at 115. She pulled off a decision win over Virna Jandiroba in the competitive co-main event of UFC 321 to claim the gold.
The opening round proved to be a close one, with Jandiroba pressuring Dern throughout with grappling. Dern, despite being her jiu-jitsu expertise, managed to land well with her strikes, doing some notable damage. A similar story played out for the second round.
Dern mixed things up in the third round, pressuring Jandiroba to the fence while adding in her striking. Even from her back, Dern appeared to be doing more despite getting taken down on a number of occasions. Jandiroba controlled most of the fourth round, despite ending it on her back, but Dern’s striking helped her win the fifth round and take a decision victory.
Two judges scored the bout 48-47, while the third totaled it 49-46.
Mackenzie Dern Defeats Virna Jandiroba For Vacant Strawweight Title At UFC 321
Mackenzie Dern has done it. A UFC champion. What a wild road it's been.
People can say what they want, but Mackenzie Dern was clearly trying to win that fight. She pushed the pace & stayed aggressive, while Jandiroba never really tried to take over. She had her moments and takedowns, but no real urgency. Still, 49–46 for Dern was a stretch.#UFC321
UFC 321 is here, and we here at MMA News are here to provide you the latest on betting odds for the card.
The card takes place from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, on Saturday, October 25. The pay-per-view main card portion of the event will start at 2PM ET/11AM PT, with preliminary action starting at 10AM ET/7AM PT.
The headline attraction for the event will feature a UFC heavyweight championship matchup between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane.
The co-main event will see the vacant UFC women’s strawweight championship on the line as Virna Jandiroba rematches Mackenzie Dern.
The pay-per-view main card will also feature Umar Nurmagomedov taking on Mario Bautista, a heavyweight title eliminator with Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida, and Aleksandar Rakic facing Azamat Murzakanov.
UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 321 as of the start of the event, courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Heavyweight Championship: Tom Aspinall (-345) vs. Ciryl Gane (+275)
Women’s Strawweight Championship: Virna Jandiroba (+124) vs. Mackenzie Dern (-148)
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov (-625) vs. Mario Bautista (+455)
Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov (+160) vs. Jailton Almeida (-192)
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic (-125) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (+105)
Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast (-105) vs. Quillan Salkilld (-115)
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov (-225) vs. JunYong Park (+185)
Lightweight: L’udovit Klein (-130) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (+110)
Heavyweight: Valter Walker (-390) vs. Louie Sutherland (+310)
Early Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood (+130) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (-155)
Heavyweight: Hamdy Abdelwahab (-520) vs. Chris Barnett (+390)
Flyweight: Azat Maksum (-500) vs. Mitch Raposo (+380)
Women’s Strawweight: Jaqueline Amorim (-500) vs. Mizuki (+380)
We’re 24 hours away from UFC 321, and MMA News is here to bring you the video from the ceremonial weigh-ins for the card!
UFC 321 takes place on October 25 from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The main event will see Tom Aspinall defend the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane. Aspinall became interim heavyweight champion at UFC 295 by defeating Sergei Pavlovich. He’d retain the interim title by defeating Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 and was then promoted to undisputed champion this past summer following the brief retirement of Jon Jones. Gane earned this title shot with his controversial decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310.
The UFC women’s strawweight champion will find a new owner in the co-main event, as Virna Jandiroba takes on Mackenzie Dern. This is a rematch from UFC 256, which saw Dern earn a decision win. Jandiroba has won five straight entering this fight, while Dern has won three of five.
The rest of the main card will see former bantamweight title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov face Mario Bautista, a heavyweight title eliminator between Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida, and a light heavyweight showdown featuring Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov.
The ceremonial weigh-ins present the last opportunity for opponents to face off before they meet inside the Octagon. Check them out below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel!
We are just one day away from UFC 321, and we’ve got the official weigh-in results for you here at MMA News.
UFC 321 takes place from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, featuring a number of noteworthy names topped off with two title fights.
The main event will see Tom Aspinall make his first defense as undisputed heavyweight champion, as he takes on Ciryl Gane. Aspinall became interim champion with a finish of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. He then retained the interim title by knocking out Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 before being promoted to undisputed champion following the (brief) retirement of Jon Jones.
Gane, a former UFC interim heavyweight champion himself, earned the title fight with a controversial decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310.
A new strawweight champion will be crowned in the co-main event, as Virna Jandiroba takes on Mackenzie Dern. This will be a rematch of their fight from UFC 256 in December 2020, which saw Dern get the judges’ nod.
Jandiroba has won five straight, and she has won six of seven since the loss to Dern. Dern has had her ups and downs since their first fight, but she enters this fight off two straight wins and three wins in her last five fights.
UFC 321 Weigh-In Video, Results
UFC 321 takes place Saturday, October 25 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The main card begins at a special 2 PM ET/11 AM PT start time, with the preliminary card starting at 10 AM ET/7 AM PT.
See above to watch the UFC 321 Weigh-In Show, and check out the full results below.
Main Card:
Heavyweight Championship: Tom Aspinall (255) vs. Ciryl Gane (247.5)
Women’s Strawweight Championship: Virna Jandiroba (115) vs. Mackenzie Dern (115)
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov (136) vs. Mario Bautista (135.5)
Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov (261.5) vs. Jailton Almeida (237)
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic (205) vs. Azamat Murzakanov (205.5)
Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast (156) vs. Quillan Salkilld (155.5)
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov (185.5) vs. JunYong Park (185.5)
Lightweight: L’udovit Klein (156) vs. Mateusz Rebecki (155.5)
Heavyweight: Valter Walker (244) vs. Louie Sutherland (264.5)
Early Preliminary Card:
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood (146) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (147*)
Heavyweight: Hamdy Abdelwahab (265) vs. Chris Barnett (261)
Flyweight: Azat Maksum (129**) vs. Mitch Raposo (125.5)
Women’s Strawweight: Jaqueline Amorim (116) vs. Mizuki (115)
*Delgado missed weight, penalty TBD **Maksum missed weight, fined 30 percent of his purse
The UFC brings a pair of title fights to its annual October pay-per-view outing in Abu Dhabi this Saturday for UFC 321. Get yourself ready and in the know with another edition of MMA News staff fight predictions.
The event will be available exclusively on ESPN pay-per-view on Saturday, October 25. The main card will begin at a special 2pm ET start time, with preliminary card action kicking off at 10am ET.
The main event will see the UFC heavyweight championship — and the title of baddest man on the planet — on the line as Tom Aspinall defends against Ciryl Gane.
This will be Aspinall’s first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title. He was promoted to undisputed champion after Jon Jones’ (brief) retirement in June; UFC CEO and President Dana White announced the move at the UFC Baku post-fight press conference. Aspinall had initially defeated Serghei Pavlovich at UFC 295 to become interim heavyweight champion, and he retained that interim title by finishing Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.
Gane enters this fight off a controversial split decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310. Gane has previously been interim heavyweight champion, defeating Derrick Lewis at UFC 265, but he has lost in undisputed title fights against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
The co-main event will see a new champion crowned in the women’s strawweight division, as Weili Zhang will vacate the gold to move up and challenge Valentina Shevchenko at women’s flyweight next month. At UFC 321, either Virna Jandiroba or Mackenzie Dern will be crowned the new 115-pound champion.
This will be a rematch from UFC 256, which saw Dern win via decision. Jandiroba has won five straight and has won six of seven since the loss to Dern. Jandiroba enters this fight off a decision win over Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314 in April. Dern has won her last two and three of five, entering off a victory over Amanda Ribas in January.
The rest of the main card will see a bantamweight scrap between Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista, a heavyweight title eliminator featuring Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeieda, and light heavyweight clash featuring Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov.
UFC 321: MMA News Staff Predictions
With UFC 321 just a couple of short days away, Ryan Jarrell, Pranav Pandey, and myself (Thomas Albano) have provided our picks for the fights that make up the main card.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through ten cards in 2025.
Pranav Pandey (27-20) Thomas Albano (27-20)
Ryan Jarrell (25-22)
And now, let’s take a look at everyone’s picks for UFC 321!
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Images: UFC.com, Zuffa
Pranav Pandey: This could turn out to be an intriguing striker-versus-striker battle. Aleksandar Rakic has hit a rough patch in his last three fights, though all of them were against former champions. “Rocket” remains a dangerous competitor with sharp stand-up skills and the experience of facing top-tier opponents. Azamat Murzakanov, on the other hand, carries the aura of a knockout artist and remains undefeated, but he hasn’t yet been truly tested against elite competition in the division. That experience gap could play in Rakic’s favor. I see this fight being competitive and capable of swinging either way, but in my opinion, Rakic’s experience give him the slight upper hand to walk away with the win. (Prediction: Rakic)
Thomas Albano: This is an interesting battle. On one hand, Aleksandar Rakic has experience and layoff that he’s currently on a three-fight losing streak and hasn’t had a win since 2021. Meanwhile, Azamat Murzakanov is on an impressive winning streak and continues to score highlight finish after highlight finish. On the other, Rakic’s losses in his current skid have come against Jan Blachowicz, Jiri Prochazka, and Magomed Ankalaev. Murzakanov, meanwhile, has not faced that kind of competition yet. I don’t have the greatest of feelings on this fight, but I’ll say Rakic’s experience helps get him a much-needed victory. This is as long as he keeps his distance and lands from there, while perhaps looking for opportunities to score takedowns. My fear is he gets into a firefight, and Rakic gets cracked. Hopefully Rakic has the IQ to stick to the smart gameplan. (Prediction: Rakic)
Ryan Jarrell: The last win that Alexander Rakic had in the UFC was his UD win over Thiago Santos all the way back in 2021. ‘Rocket’ has now lost three fights in a row and is desperate for a win. He has a tall task in front of him because Azamat Murzakanov is undefeated and is finishing people in impressive fashion. Rakic has the skillset to be the first man to hand Azamat a loss. But I just don’t think he will be able to get it done here. Murzakanov is used to sharing the cage with high level competition and he will be ready for what Rakic brings to the octagon on fight night. (Prediction: Murzakanov)
Consensus: 2-1 Rakic
Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida
Images: UFC.com, UFC/YouTube
Pranav Pandey: Alexander Volkov makes his return to the Octagon nearly a year after the fight against Gane that slipped through his fingers. Even as he approaches the later stages of his career, the Russian has shown noticeable improvements in his striking, and his devastating reach continues to be a major asset. On the other side, Jailton Almeida is a dangerous and fresh challenger with slick submission skills. If he can weather Volkov’s striking storm and close the distance, I think Almeida could take this fight into his grappling world and look for a submission finish. (Prediction: Almeida)
Thomas Albano: Some are disappointed that Alexander Volkov is even in this title eliminator situation to begin with because they felt he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 310. Unfortunately for them and him, this is the reality he’s in. He’s going to be taking on Jailton Almeida, whose grappling game has been proven to be dangerous for a weak UFC heavyweight division. This a huge opportunity for the rising Almeida; however, if Volkov continues to look the way he has of late, it’s not going to be easy. Volkov’s reach is always an issue, and his striking has looked on point in his most recent fights. Even at his age, he’s making one last (realistic) case for securing a title shot. And that might turn to reality here. Just like the light heavyweight showdown that opens the main card, experience wins here. (Prediction: Volkov)
Ryan Jarrell: This is such an intriguing matchup. The length of Alexander Volkov is always such a tricky puzzle to figure out. Volkov looked really good in his most recent fight with Ciryl Gane which ended in a split decision loss and left a lot of people upset at the judges decision. Almeida will be a very different stylistic matchup, but one that ‘Drago’ could very well pass. Both men are in their mid thirties so the time is now or never. I don’t feel confident one way or the other and I think this fight could end in a split decision. But I’ll take Volkov to have the bigger moments and win a tightly contested fight of the night candidate. (Prediction: Volkov)
Consensus: 2-1 Volkov
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: This matchup is a tricky one for me to predict. Umar Nurmagomedov has looked nearly unstoppable since joining the UFC, but his aura of invincibility took a hit when he faced the reigning bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili, at UFC 311. In that fight, his signature weapon, the relentless takedown game, got neutralized, and his overall composure seemed to unravel. I think Mario Bautista, who in my opinion is one of the most relentless and quietly consistent fighters in the division, will try to replicate that same blueprint. His style may not be the flashiest, but it’s efficient and often enough to get the job done. I can see this fight turning into a back-and-forth battle where Bautista pushes the pace early and keeps Nurmagomedov uncomfortable throughout. In my opinion, Bautista’s work rate and pressure could be the deciding factors here, and I’m leaning toward him pulling off a gritty win. (Prediction: Bautista)
Thomas Albano: I think the common theme in this fight amongst those in MMA media making predictions is that Mario Bautista cannot be overlooked – whether you think he’s winning this fight or not. Bautista is on such a hot streak right now as he makes his way up the rankings, and if he pulls off the upset here, you have to imagine that’d earn Bautista a title eliminator – if not a title shot itself. But, Nurmagomedov’s grappling is next level, of course, and he nearly secured the bantamweight title himself by taking Merab Dvalishvili to the limit like no one has before since the start of the current champ’s long win streak. I expect Bautista to put up a strong effort but think it’s too much too quick in this case. (Prediction: Nurmagomedov)
Ryan Jarrell: The odds on this fight is a little surprising to me. Last I checked Umar was a -625 favorite which seems a little disrespectful to a guy in Bautista who has done nothing but beat elite competition. Mario is on a 8 fight win streak with wins over Jose Aldo, Ricky Simon and most recently, Patchy Mix. I am fully aware how good Umar is but I expect this fight to be a close one. Bautista is severely underrated and just might be the toughest matchup for the dominant champion. Give me Mario Bautista to surprise the MMA world and pull the upset here via split decision. (Prediction: Bautista)
Consensus: 2-1 Bautista
Women’s Strawweight Championship: Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: Mackenzie Dern got the better of Virna Jandiroba when they first met nearly five years ago at UFC 256, but a lot has changed since then. Dern has definitely added new layers to her game and shown flashes of improvement, yet her performances still feel hit-or-miss. That inconsistency makes it hard for me to back her with confidence this time around. On the other hand, “Carcará” has been on an absolute tear, putting together a dominant five-fight win streak against some top-level competition. Despite being a bit older than Dern, I think Jandiroba is the more complete fighter at this stage, more composed, and more calculated. With the strawweight title now up for grabs, I expect her to come in with extra fire and finally get her revenge. (Prediction: Jandiroba)
Thomas Albano: This is a rematch of their UFC 256 bout in December 2020, which saw Dern come away with a decision win – though if you ask some MMA fans, they’d feel that wasn’t the right call. Most MMA media, however, agreed with Dern getting the nod, and most are expecting she’ll get the nod again when they meet in a five-round fight with vacant gold on the line. While Jandiroba is an excellent grappler, she’s going to be in for a ride to try and do battle with the expert level, world championship caliber jiu-jitsu of Dern. Additionally, Dern has made strides in her striking, albeit it’s still not the greatest, and she has the power, size, and strength to give Jandiroba a hard time with pressure. All the signs in this one say Jandiroba puts up a fight, but it’s Dern who walks away the new champ at 115. (Prediction: Dern)
Ryan Jarrell: Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba met five short years ago and now the two top strawweight fighters will vie for the vacant strap in the co main event of a very exciting main card. The first go round saw Dern win a unanimous decision and I expect the same to happen in the rematch. Jandiroba has 14 submission victories in her career, but Dern is an elite BJJ practitioner and has never been submitted in her professional MMA career. I believe the physicality and strength that Dern possesses will help her win in the 50/50 scrambles and allow her to out point her way to the victory and title. (Prediction: Dern)
Consensus: 2-1 Dern
Heavyweight Championship: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane
Images: UFC.com
Pranav Pandey: This one’s a pretty easy call for me, I’m rolling with Tom Aspinall all day. Don’t get me wrong, Ciryl Gane is one of the most skilled heavyweights on the roster, but I just don’t see anything in his overall game that poses a serious threat to the reigning champ. “Bon Gamin” has looked slick in moments, but over the last couple of years, many of his performances have felt flat and uninspired, even in victory. Aspinall, on the other hand, is a complete package – fast, explosive, and absolutely lethal wherever the fight goes. I think he overwhelms Gane early with his pressure and speed, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a quick finish. In my opinion, Gane won’t be able to survive that early onslaught for long. (Prediction: Aspinall)
Thomas Albano: It’s a shame this fight isn’t taking place in Europe. Because while I know not everyone is excited about this fight, it’s still a heavyweight title fight and it features two of the best fighters out of that continent right now. That said, there’s clearly one better fighter here, and that’s the current heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall. Aspinall is a stud because he’s light on his feet with power in his hands. Can he take out Gane with power like he has most of the heavyweight division? Sure. But Gane is skilled and powerful on the feet as well. I see Aspinall pressuring Gane before ultimately doing the very same thing that Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones did in their title fights against Gane – get the fight to the ground. I expect Aspinall to score a takedown and finish the fight in the first round with either a submission or a TKO through some brutal ground-and-pound. (Prediction: Aspinall)
Ryan Jarrell: I am convinced that Tom Aspinall will go down as the greatest heavyweight the sport has ever seen. He obviously has the power of an elite heavyweight. But what may be more impressive is he moves like a welterweight. I just truly believe he is too dynamic for anyone in the division right now including Ciryl Gane. I will be shocked if this fight sees the second round and I expect Tom to finish Gane more impressively than Jon. (Prediction: Aspinall)
Consensus: 3-0 Aspinall
That’ll do it for our UFC 321 staff picks! What do you think? Do your predictions look similar? Let us know in the comments section!
Also, you can check out the full UFC 321 card below.
Main Card:
Heavyweight Championship: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane
Women’s Strawweight Championship: Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista
Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Preliminary Card:
Lightweight: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Quillan Salkilld
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov vs. JunYong Park
Lightweight: L’udovit Klein vs. Mateusz Rebecki
Lightweight: Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Matheus Camilo
Early Preliminary Card:
Heavyweight: Valter Walker vs. Louie Sutherland
Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Jose Miguel Delgado
UFC 321 is just a couple of days away, featuring a pair of title fights headlining the show. Time to stir the pot more and gain more hype for UFC 321, courtesy of a good ol’ fashion question-and-answer session.
The 11th UFC pay-per-view event of the year goes down from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday, October 25.
UFC 321 will be headlined by Tom Aspinall defending the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane.
The co-main event will see a new UFC women’s strawweight champion crowned when Virna Jandiroba rematches Mackenzie Dern.
The rest of the main card features a bantamweight battle between Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista, a heavyweight title eliminator featuring Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida, and a light heavyweight showdown as Aleksandar Rakic takes on Azamat Murzakanov.
Watch The UFC 321: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane Pre-Fight Press Conference
As per tradition, the UFC pay-per-view main card participants will be featured in a press conference during fight week. This is the opportunity for fighters to answer questions from media and fans, as well as potentially lay in some smack talk on their opponents.
UFC star Mackenzie Dern has reflected on the journey that led her to competing for a world title this weekend.
On Saturday night, Mackenzie Dern will face Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC strawweight championship. This moment has been a long time coming for both fighters, and it takes place five years after their first battle – which Dern was able to win. Of course, both are at very different points in their career now, and this is the biggest opportunity either of them has ever had.
For Mackenzie Dern, this is the moment for her to try and live up to the potential that many believe she’d had ever since entering the promotion. While she’s experienced her fair share of setbacks, Dern has been able to bounce back time and time again – and now, she’s ready to grab that gold with both hands.
In a recent interview, Mackenzie Dern made it known that she still has to pinch herself about how her career has played out up to this point.
Mackenzie Dern reflects on UFC journey
“It’s crazy, it’s like I still need to pinch myself. Not that I don’t think I deserve it, but it’s crazy to see how everything worked out through all the ups and downs. I never imagined that a win five years ago would set me up for this moment the way it did.”
Of course, it must be said that Jandiroba has also been on an incredible journey, and she’ll be just as motivated to get over that finish line.
The Brazilian-American strawweight Mackenzie Dern has built her UFC career around this shoulder lock, turning what many consider a low-percentage submission into her signature weapon. Soon she will be competing for the vacant strawweight world title at UFC 321. Ahead of her October 25 matchup, she reflected on her championship career in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Mackenzie Dern’s Favorite Submission
On her favorite submission, speaking during a pre-fight UFC 321 press conference, she explained:
“My favorite submission is the omoplata. I attack it a lot — I did it against Amanda Ribas, Marina Rodriguez, Yan Xiaonan. Even if I don’t finish it, it’s always there. But whatever happens, I just see myself winning.”
Omoplata
The omoplata might not look like much from the outside, but for Mackenzie Dern, it represents a blend of technique, strategy, and opportunity. The omoplata, which means “scapula” in Portuguese, uses the legs and hips to hyperextend an opponent’s shoulder joint beyond its normal range of motion. The technique involves placing one leg under the opponent’s armpit and rotating 180 degrees, with the leg moving over the opponent’s back and around their arm. The submission is completed by controlling the opponent’s body and applying pressure to force the shoulder into an unnatural position.
What makes Dern’s relationship with the omoplata particularly fascinating is how she employs it as a multi-tool rather than just a finishing move. Against Marina Rodriguez in 2021, Dern secured an omoplata on Rodriguez’s back but couldn’t complete the submission before time expired. Similarly, in her battle with Yan Xiaonan, she used the omoplata to transition into an arm triangle choke, demonstrating the technique’s versatility as a gateway to other attacks.
UFC and BJJ
Her most recent victory against Amanda Ribas showcased this perfectly. With about a minute remaining in the second round, Dern threw up an omoplata to escape a bad position, using it as a defensive tool before eventually winning via armbar in the third round. This sequence highlighted how the omoplata serves multiple purposes in her game.
Dern’s mastery of this technique stems from her extraordinary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu background. She holds a third-degree black belt under her father Wellington “Megaton” Dias, himself a coral belt and BJJ legend. Her competitive resume reads like a who’s who of grappling achievements: 2015 ADCC World Champion, multiple-time IBJJF World Champion, and the only female competitor to win gold medals at all five major IBJJF Gi championships.
Her father’s influence cannot be overstated. Wellington Dias, who earned his nickname “Megaton” for his explosive judo-inspired throws, received his black belt from Royler Gracie at age 18 and became the first coral belt to compete at IBJJF World Championships. This lineage shows in Mackenzie’s technical approach.
In the UFC, Dern currently holds the record for most submission wins in the women’s strawweight division with five, tied for second-most in all UFC women’s divisions. Her submission rate of 53% across 20 professional fights demonstrates how effectively she translates her grappling skills to mixed martial arts.
The technique’s effectiveness lies in its deceptive nature. While opponents prepare for Dern’s more obvious submission threats like armbars and rear naked chokes, the omoplata often appears organically from scrambles and transitions. Against Tecia Torres, she had both kimura and leg lock opportunities but acknowledged being “too respectful” with her finishing attempts. This mindset shift toward a more aggressive approach has coincided with her recent success.
Dern’s use of the omoplata also is related to larger changes in modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Once considered a low-percentage technique, the omoplata gained prominence in the 1990s through innovators like Nino Schembri. Today, it’s recognized as both submission and sweeping mechanism, exactly how Dern employs it in the octagon.
UFC 321
Her recent performance against Amanda Ribas demonstrated this evolution perfectly. Rather than hunting for the finish at all costs, Dern used the omoplata threat to create scrambles, improve positions, and ultimately set up the fight-ending armbar.
Mackenzie Dern is looking to use her favorite submission, the omoplata, this weekend when she faces Virna Jandiroba for the UFC strawweight world title live from Abu Dhabi.
UFC star Mackenzie Dern has explained how playing poker, in her mind, has helped her to become a better mixed martial artist.
On Saturday night, Mackenzie Dern will get the chance of a lifetime. She will go head to head with Virna Jandiroba as the two battle it out for the UFC strawweight championship. This will be the second time that they fight one another in the UFC, and when they first met five years ago, it was Dern who managed to get her hand raised.
While there will undoubtedly be some changes that both women implement heading into the rematch, Mackenzie Dern is bound to be feeling confident. She is just one big performance and win away from cementing her legacy as a UFC champion, something that she’s been striving for ever since she first entered the promotion.
In a recent interview, Dern revealed that there’s something pretty interesting that she believes has been helping her in the last twelve months – poker.
Mackenzie Dern explains positive impact of playing poker
“Poker’s helped me control my emotions. I’m very impulsive, but in poker, you have to learn patience — folding, reading people, waiting for the right moment. It’s helped me become a better fighter, to be honest. I started playing about a year ago, and since then, I’m on a two-fight win streak. I think there’s a correlation there.”
Dern knows the size of the task that lies ahead of her, but if she’s able to stay calm under pressure, she’ll be well on her way to the title.
UFC star Mackenzie Dern has opened up on a potential fight against Zhang Weili, who recently vacated the UFC strawweight championship.
As we know, Mackenzie Dern will battle Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC strawweight title on Saturday night. She will do so in the main event of UFC 321, and in Jandiroba, she’ll be facing an opponent that she’s already fought and beaten once before.
Of course, this is going to be a very different fight given that it’s been five years since their first meeting. For Mackenzie Dern, though, it’s all about staying humble, and keeping her feet on the ground.
With that in mind, it’s pretty interesting to hear her thoughts on how a fight between her and Zhang Weili would’ve played out at this stage in her career.
Mackenzie Dern’s view on possible Zhang Weili fight
“I definitely think that if Weili was champion right now of our division, and I mean, obviously, I wouldn’t say no to a title shot, but I don’t think I’d be ready to fight Weili right now at this moment of my career, you know what I mean?,” Dern told MMA Fighting. “But I do think that if I do win the belt, and then whatever — if we were to fight like at the White House or something in June — I feel like I’d be way more ready and prepared to fight her.
“I know it’s like, OK, it’s just like what? Like six months or eight months difference. How much better do you think you’re going to get in 8 months? But I think just winning the bell, there’s a confidence part that you get from that, and it’s just more training and more time. She was just so dominant in the strawweight division.”
UFC star Mackenzie Dern believes her five round experience will help her significantly heading into her UFC 321 title fight.
In the co-main event of UFC 321, Mackenzie Dern will battle Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC strawweight championship. This has been a long time coming for Dern and after fighting for years to try and get her way to a title shot, the opportunity has finally arrived – and she’s as prepared as one could ever hope to be.
Mackenzie Dern is a great fighter but she’s certainly faced a few setbacks in her time. Alas, her experience has worked wonders for her career, and a lot of that has come in five round fights as a result of her headline slots on fight night cards.
In a recent interview, Mackenzie Dern explained why that’s going to be really important for her heading into this bout.
Mackenzie Dern recognizes her five-round experience
“I’ve had about four or five five-round fights in the last five years. It changes the game a bit compared to three rounds—you have some rounds where you can feel out and see how your opponent is fighting, find your timing. Three rounds go by so fast; you don’t want to fall behind. But in five rounds, you have 25 minutes to really figure out your opponent and see.”
“We’ve been training hard to make sure we don’t run out of cardio, keep the pace the whole time, but also to have a champion mindset—be able to take time and play smart in the strawweight division.”
UFC star Mackenzie Dern has explained wanting to give back to jiu-jitsu as she prepares to battle for the vacant UFC strawweight championship.
At UFC 321, Mackenzie Dern will finally get a shot at UFC gold when she battles Virna Jandiroba in the co-main event of the evening. It’s been a long journey to get to this point for Dern, but given how much she’s gone through both in and outside of the cage, it’s hard not to be happy for her.
Of course, it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Mackenzie Dern knows better than most how tough Jandiroba is, and while she did manage to defeat her back in their first meeting five years ago, both women have changed a great deal in that time.
Ahead of fight night, Mackenzie Dern spoke openly about wanting to give back to the world of jiu-jitsu in a recent interview.
Mackenzie Dern wants to give back to jiu-jitsu
“When I made the transition to MMA 10 years ago, I was doing it just to see if I would like it. I really wanted to represent jiu-jitsu on a bigger platform than just our jiu-jitsu community. The best way to give back to jiu-jitsu was to be able to represent it in MMA, where the Roy Gracie won the very first UFC.”
Get ready, folks, because Dern is coming into this one as motivated as she’s ever been – and that should make for a pretty fun title fight.
UFC 320 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering, UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
The promotion was in Las Vegas last week, where the T-Mobile Arena played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its nine numbered event of the year. Of note were headline wins for Alex Pereira and Merab Dvalishvili, as well as important victories for Jiri Prochazka, Youssef Zalal, and Joe Pyfer.
While the aftermath of the October 4 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the light heavyweight and bantamweight championship title pictures to the heavyweight and women’s strawweight championship conversations.
At UFC 321, which takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on October 25, Tom Aspinall will defend the UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane.
This will mark Aspinall’s first defense of the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship. He had been promoted from interim to undisputed champion during the UFC Baku post-fight press conference back on June 21 — the result of a long, drawn-out negotiation process involving him, the UFC, and Jon Jones. Aspinall defeated Serghei Pavlovich for the interim heavyweight championship at UFC 295 and retained the interim belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304.
Gane is 13-2 and has won three of his last five. He comes into this bout off a split decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310. Gane defeated Derrick Lewis to become an interim UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 265 in 2021. He has challenged for the heavyweight title twice since, losing to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 and to Jon Jones at UFC 285.
Stakes will also be high in the co-main event, as a vacant women’s strawweight championship will be on the line, thanks to Weili Zhang moving up to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at women’s flyweight. UFC 321 will see Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern scrap in a rematch to determine the new champion. Dern previously scored a decision win over Jandiroba at UFC 256. Jandiroba enters this fight on a five-fight win streak, most recently scoring a decision over Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314. Dern, meanwhile, has won three of her last five, most recently submitting Amanda Ribas in a rematch that headlined UFC Vegas 101 in January.
Nurmagomedov, Volkov, Rakic Set The Stage For Heavyweight Title Headliner At UFC 321
Before Aspinall, Gane, Jandiroba, and Dern make their way out for their title fights, several names will look to make their own statements on the main card for UFC 321.
This includes Umar Nurmagomedov, who will be doing battle with Mario Bautista. This will be Nurmagomedov’s first fight since coming just short of capturing the UFC bantamweight title from Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 311, suffering the first loss of his MMA career in the process. Bautista, meanwhile, has won eight straight, which includes defeating UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo at UFC 307 and former Bellator bantamweight champion Patchy Mix at UFC 316.
A heavyweight title eliminator will also be featured on this card, as Alexander Volkov takes on Jailton Almeida. Volkov will be looking to rebound from the previously mentioned split decision loss to Gane, a fight that snapped a four-fight win streak for Volkov. Almeida, meanwhile, has won two straight and 17 of 18, coming into this bout off a performance bonus-earning finish of Serghei Spivac at UFC 311.
The main card is scheduled to open with Aleksandar Rakic taking on Azamat Murzakanov. Rakic has lost three straight, most recently dropping a decision to now-former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 308, which was last year’s Abu Dhabi pay-per-view card. Murzakanov is undefeated at 15-0, most recently finishing Brendson Ribeiro at UFC 316 in June.
Those pairings have currently gotten the nod to feature on the main card over the likes of Ikram Aliskerov, Mateusz Rebecki, and Nathaniel Wood, all of whom are expected to be featured players on the event’s preliminary card.
See below for the UFC 321 lineup, as it stands.
Main Card:
Heavyweight Championship: Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane
Women’s Strawweight Championship: Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern
Bantamweight: Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista
Heavyweight: Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Preliminary Card (Order TBA):
Middleweight: Ikram Aliskerov vs. Jun-yong Park
Lightweight: Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady vs. Matheus Camilo
Mackenzie Dern was not caught off guard by Weili Zhang vacating her strawweight crown ahead of her flyweight championship super fight with reigning titleholder Valentina Shevchenko and had multiple reasons as to why that was the case.
This was discussed during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show as Dern heads into her next fight in pursuit of that aforementioned vacant strap at 115 pounds. The 32-year-old will clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 on October 25th with the victor receiving the strawweight championship. Amid a wild journey where she found out via social media that her Jandiroba clash would be for the title and specifically addressing if she was surprised by the belt being vacant in the first place, Dern said,
“No, I’m not surprised. I mean, I think like depending on how her fight with Valentina would be, if it would be anything like Alexa [Grasso] and Valentina [Shevchenko], they could do like a trilogy, you know, and all this stuff. So, I think it’s just… it just makes sense, you know, not to put the division on hold. And she was so dominant in the strawweight division, you know what I mean?”
“It’s just like everyone they were throwing at her, she was just beating. So, I mean, I think even if she wants to come back after the one fight with Valentina, I think that it would make sense. But I mean, I figured maybe she’d want to have two belts, you know, but I think depending how her fight goes with Valentina, she might want to have like trilogy or something like that, and that could take a while.”
Mackenzie Dern and her prior history in the UFC with Virna Jandiroba
Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba are on a collision course for championship gold in the coming weeks but this is not the first time that the two prolific combatants will compete against each other. At UFC 256 in December 2020, Dern emerged victorious against Jandiroba by way of unanimous decision.
Dern is presently the number five ranked contender in the division while Jandiroba enters the octagon as the number one ranked strawweight contender in the UFC for this highly anticipated sequel clash.
UFC star Mackenzie Dern has revealed how Ronda Rousey was one of her influences when it comes to breaking into mixed martial arts.
As we know, Mackenzie Dern has been one of the most notable names in women’s MMA for many years now. At UFC 321, she’ll get the opportunity to finally claim UFC gold when she goes head to head with Virna Jandiroba for the vacant UFC strawweight championship.
While some believe she doesn’t deserve such an opportunity, others have noted how much Mackenzie Dern has been through in order to get to this point. If she can claim the gold, it’ll serve as quite the rise to prominence that started many years ago when she was first signed to the promotion.
In a recent interview, Mackenzie Dern opened up on the process of getting started in the sport.
Mackenzie Dern notes Ronda Rousey’s influence
“No, I wasn’t even thinking about the title when I went into MMA. I just went like—like I said, the UFC, they signed me before I had even done any fight in MMA at all, you know, before LFA, before Legacy. So they signed me like with the developmental plan and they said try it out, see if you like it, if you do want to stay in it, you know, I’m signed already with them. If not, no problem.
“Well, you can stop and then go back to jiu-jitsu, whatever you want to do. So I went into it like, ‘Oh, Ronda Rousey, everyone’s just like, yeah, you should do it. You’re really good at jiu-jitsu and you can go into like movies and this and that.’… I started growing.
“I think actually my fight with Bina was one of the first fights when I like kind of realized and I thought like, ‘Okay, I think I have it in me,’ you know, ’cause I broke my nose and it was kind of just like we stayed all three rounds striking, and, you know, she was way more experienced than me… That’s kind of when I was like, ‘Okay, I think I really want to get better at striking and I want to like take this serious.’… That mindset of a champion started growing in me.”
Mackenzie Dern’s title opportunity turned out to be just as much of a surprise to her as it was to many fans.
UFC CEO Dana White confirmed last week that strawweight champion Zhang Weili has relinquished her belt to pursue two-division glory, setting up a superfight with reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event of UFC 322 on November 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
With Zhang stepping aside, Dern now finds herself booked for a high-stakes rematch against former rival Virna Jandiroba, as the two collide for the vacant 115-pound crown in the co-main event of UFC 321 on October 25 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Mackenzie Dern Reveals Surprise Discovery Of Title Shot On Instagram
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Mackenzie Dern opened up about her upcoming strawweight title clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321.
The No. 5 ranked contender admitted she was aware a championship opportunity was on the horizon, be it for interim gold or the undisputed crown, but revealed she discovered the final verdict at the same time as everyone else when the UFC made its announcement public.
“[The UFC] were kind of talking about the interim belt, and that was maybe three weeks ago, four weeks ago,” Dern said. “They were talking about it, but weren’t sure if they were going to do it. Then [we found out], ‘OK, they’re going to do it, [so] we’ll wait until they announce it.’ And then I found out by Instagram that it was going to be for the actual belt when Dana announced it.
“I texted [my manager] Tiki [Ghosn], ‘Wait, is it the real belt or the interim belt?’ [He said,] ‘Oh, it’s the real belt.’ So that was very recent, the change. We were happy with the interim belt — it’s still a belt and would be the next step to getting the [undisputed] belt. But the fact that it’s for the real belt definitely puts an extra happiness and gratefulness on it.”
"I found out by Instagram that it was going to be for the actual belt when Dana announced it."@MackenzieDern found out she'd be fighting for the strawweight title at the same time as everyone else. pic.twitter.com/ObeDLNR3lZ
Dern most recently competed at UFC Vegas 101 in January, where she avenged a previous setback against Amanda Ribas with a third-round submission victory. The 32-year-old American-born Brazilian has gone 4-4 over her past eight outings and currently owns a 10-5 record inside the UFC Octagon.
Following the confirmation that Weili Zhang will be moving up to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko, a new UFC women’s strawweight champion will be crowned at UFC 321, as Virna Jandiroba faces off with Mackenzie Dern.
UFC CEO and President Dana White confirmed the news on Instagram Live before a confirmation graphic posted to the UFC on social media.
White confirmed in the same announcement stream the end of Zhang’s second reign as champion, finalizing the long-awaited showdown between she and Valentina Shevchenko for the latter’s 125-pound title in the co-main event of UFC 322, three weeks after UFC 321.
Zhang defended the strawweight title three times in her second reign as champion, defeating Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez.
Virna Jandiroba And Mackenzie Dern To Fight At UFC 321 To Determine New Strawweight Champion
Jandiroba has won five straight and six of her last seven fights. Her two most recent victories are two of the names Zhang defeated in her second title run; Jandiroba defeated Lemos in the main event of UFC Vegas 94 in July 2024 and Xiaonan at UFC 314 in April.
Dern, the former grappling and jiu-jitsu world champion, has won two straight and three of her last five. Dern comes into this fight off a bonus-earning, buzzer-beater submission of Amanda Ribas in the main event of UFC Vegas 101 this past January.
White also announced Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Mario Bautista will be added to the main card of UFC 321. Nurmagomedov’s previous-unbeaten record came to an end at UFC 311 in January, falling just short of claiming the bantamweight title from Merab Dvalishvili. Bautista has won eight straight, most recently defeating Patchy Mix at UFC 316.
UFC 321 takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25. The main event will see Tom Aspinall defend the UFC heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane.
When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu credibility, Mackenzie Dern was born for the martial arts. She’s a third-degree black belt, promoted by her father, the inimitable Wellington “Megaton” Dias, himself a revered figure with a coral belt and a choking grip on BJJ history.
Mackenzie Dern’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Credentials
Dern’s lineage runs straight through the Gracie tree: Carlos Gracie – Helio Gracie – Royler Gracie – Wellington Dias – Mackenzie Dern. A very impressive lineage.
Dern’s journey started nearly as soon as she could walk; by age three, she was on the mats, shadowing her dad and stepmom (black belt Luciana Tavares) instead of cartoons. She gained her black belt at age 19, racking up colored belt world titles like they were souvenir tees: IBJJF World Champion at blue, purple, and brown belt – she made it a habit.
“My dad is black belt, Megaton Dias and my stepmom, Luciana Dias is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Fortunately, instead of a babysitter, my dad took me to his academy where he introduced me to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when I was 3 years old.” She explained. “My father has been heavily involved in my jiu-jitsu career since I began my training at the age of three. He has taught me almost everything I need to know about how to train and live like an athlete.”
Championships and Accolades
If BJJ had a shopping cart, Dern would need a couple of them. She’s the only woman to snag Gold (as a black belt, mind you) at all five of the high-profile IBJJF Gi Championships: Worlds, Euros, Pan Ams, Brazilian Nationals, and Asian Open. She also holds gold in both the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship and IBJJF No-Gi Worlds, making her a unicorn in women’s grappling.
Highlights include:
1st Place ADCC Championship (2015)
1st Place IBJJF Black Belt World Championship (2015)
1st Place IBJJF No-Gi World Championship (2015, Absolute division)
1st Place IBJJF Pan American Championship (2015, 2016)
AJP Abu Dhabi World Pro Champion (2015, 2016)
Let’s not forget the headline-grabbing win over the much-larger Gabi Garcia — a feat rarely accomplished at the top of the sport.
Mackenzie Dern in the UFC
Mackenzie Dern’s transition to MMA had plenty of “BJJ phenom” hype, and the numbers have (mostly) delivered. Making her UFC debut in 2018, Dern was a known finisher – with most of her wins coming via submission, often before her opponent figured out the rules of engagement, Her story wasn’t all slick armbars and smooth transitions: she missed weight more than once early in the UFC, earning some cheeky headlines and forfeiting slices of her purse, but rarely her nerve. She pressed on picking up wins and mastered the weight cut.
In the UFC, she boasts the second-most wins in UFC women’s strawweight division history. Her most recent scrap saw her exact revenge on Amanda Ribas at UFC Fight Night 249, catching a late armbar in a tactical, ground-heavy main event. Not only did this push Dern’s UFC win streak to two and her submission total to double digits, it avenged her earlier decision loss to Ribas in 2019 – always a sweet kind of paperwork.
“I’m drawn towards MMA training now that I am making the transition to fighting, but BJJ will always be my first love. BJJ has given me everything I have in life and I try to represent the sport to the best of my ability.”
It’s rare for an athlete to be a world champion at every BJJ belt, then jump into MMA and break records. Whether it’s the family tree, the hardware, or her mat-smothering style, Mackenzie Dern remains a must-watch in both Jiu Jitsu and MMA.
Mackenzie Dern would love to take a crack at reigning strawweight queen Zhang Weili.
Despite some recent setbacks against names like Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos, Dern has slowly worked her way up the 115-pound rankings, settling in as the division’s sixth-ranked contender after notching back-to-back wins against Loopy Godinez and Amanda Ribas.
Realistically, Dern could be one big win away from earning her first shot at UFC gold, but the Phoenix native isn’t rushing into anything. Especially when it comes to fighting someone as dangerous as Weili.
“Yeah, I would love to fight Weili—but not right now,” Dern told MMA Junkie. “I’m not there yet. I saw her fight Tatiana, and Tatiana took her down in the first round, held in there all five rounds. I think Weili just hasn’t had enough experience, never really got pushed through the hard times.
“I feel like I could do good compared to how Tatiana did with her, but on a personal level, I don’t think I’m ready for her right now. If I fight Virna, get the belt, and then she comes back down, I think that would give me enough time to be ready to welcome her back.”
Mackenzie Dern’s Popularity Could Be Her Ticket to a Title Shot
Overall, Dern is 10-5 inside the Octagon with her most impressive performances coming against Hannah Cifers, Randa Markos, and Nina Nunes. However, Dern has failed to walk away with a win when put to the test against some of the flyweight division’s biggest names, like Yan Xiaonan, Marina Rodrigues, and the aforementioned Jessica Andrade.
Still, the BJJ world champion has remained a favorite among fight fans with more than 1.5 million followers on Instagram. That alone could be reason enough for Dana White and Co. to justify giving Dern a title opportunity.
Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC
As for Weili, the two-time titleholder has not yet booked her return to the Octagon since handily defeating Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in February, though all signs currently point toward a long-awaited champion vs. champion clash between her and reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.
Chael Sonnen often finds it frustrating when fighters do not capitalize on the moment by making the most out of their time in the spotlight. As one of the greatest talkers in the history of the sport, “The Bad Guy” was recently critical of one athlete in particular for this side of their personality and public persona.
Mackenzie Dern came out on top in the first UFC main event of 2025 when she avenged her loss to Amanda Ribas this past weekend. It was an important win for the #6-ranked contender who, with an armbar in the third round, became the first person to submit Brazil’s Ribas in her pro career.
When she was handed the floor in her post-fight interview, Dern spoke about wanting to add to her submission record as she shared the cage with her young daughter. When the conversation turned to what target she is pursuing next, the 31-year old said that her main focus is on building momentum by getting another win under her belt and whilst she would prefer to fight an opponent that is ranked higher than her, she admitted that this might not be possible because she has faced many of the top names in the division in the past.
On a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy/Bad Guy alongside Daniel Cormier, Sonnen was fairly negative towards the submission specialist for not placing more emphasis on the entertainment side of the sport by being more assertive.
“I could not go back over Mackenzie’s career and hand her one compliment on anything she’s done from an entertainment aspect,” Sonnen said. “I couldn’t tell you one time she had a microphone in her hand and turned it into a pipe bomb. I could not tell you one opportunity that she pushed everybody else aside and came and got it for herself.”
Sonnen believes that whilst she does appear to win fans over, Dern doesn’t do anything intentionally to drive her own stock which he finds baffling.
“I’ve never seen Mackenzie get it right. Everyone likes her, myself included, everyone seems to be rooting for her for reasons I really can’t explain to you, myself included.
“She looks like she does really care about this sport. She talks about some of her hardships and things outside the ring which do compel you very much to her, but as far as understanding what makes dollars has got to make sense, she doesn’t know what any of those words mean. I’ve never seen a second-generation athlete so unaware of the sport that’s going on around them.”
Mackenzie Dern secured an impressive victory at UFC Vegas 101 on Saturday night, submitting Amanda Ribas in the third round of the main event.
The win improved Dern’s UFC record to 11-5 and marked a strong step forward in her career resurgence. Despite her momentum, though, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist emphasized that she isn’t rushing toward a title shot.
Instead, the strawweight contender is focused on continued growth to ensure long-term success when she eventually claims the belt.
“I think I’m very hard on myself,” Dern told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “I’m always trying to get better. Even when I have a great performance, I think I did so many things wrong. I think it’s a lot of play messing in your head, so it can take your journey and maybe make it a little longer. But I think in the end, it really helps you evolve to be the best fighter possible if you can really look back and have constructive criticism on yourself.
“My idea isn’t to go fight for the belt and then lose it fast. My idea is to get the belt, and I want to be a dominant champion. I’m not in a rush to get there. I want to have good fights and I want to make a statement.”
UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili is scheduled to defend her title against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in February. Dern, meanwhile, continues to rebuild her path to contention after rebounding from back-to-back losses to Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos.
Before her latest win, Dern earned a decision victory over Loopy Godinez in August, showcasing her improved all-around game.
With her focus on gradual improvement, Dern remains determined to evolve into a fighter capable of not just winning the title, but holding it for an extended reign.
Back in October 2019, Mackenzie Dern was matched up with Amanda Ribas for her third UFC fight. After a 7-0 start in MMA, the decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner was handed her first taste of defeat at Ribas’ hands, dropping a decision in Tampa.
Just over five years later, she can now say that she avenged that loss after submitting Ribas in the main event of UFC Vegas 101.
The Brazilian ranked strawweight and flyweight was able to land some sharp elbows early. But Dern, the grappling specialist, was able to get Ribas on the ground for over half of the first round. During that time, she brought down some effective ground-and-pound.
Ribas worked her way back to the feet late in the first and then had more activity in a quiet second round. Dern, however, brought the action back to the ground in the third frame and locked up a classic, late armbar to score the submission.
In doing so, the elite BJJ artist became the first to ever submit Ribas inside the cage.
ARMBAR! There's the danger of Mackenzie Dern… Damn. She gets redemption on her first career loss to Ribas and her first submission in four years. Big win for the BJJ ace.
MacKenzie Dern's best MMA submission by a country mile. My hat is off to her. What a sweep, what an adjustment, what an armbar 😍🥋 pic.twitter.com/56T3eB7xZ4
UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights!
In the main event, top-ten strawweights (#6) Mackenzie Dern and (#8) Amanda Ribas clashed. While in the co-main event, Santiago Ponzinibbio faced Carlston Harris in a welterweight matchup.
