Copyright Yardbarker
Mackenzie Dern impressed with her title-winning performance. A new chapter got underway in the strawweight division at this past Saturday’s UFC 321 pay-per-view following the end of Zhang Weili’s lengthy second reign. The vacant title was on the line in Abu Dhabi a few weeks before Weili challenges flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko, with familiar adversaries Dern and Virna Jandiroba running it back. As she did in their first fight in 2020, Dern beat Jandiroba via unanimous decision, adding UFC gold to a combat sports résumé that also includes a host of Brazilian jiu-jitsu accolades. The new 115-pound queen had to fight through considerable adversity at Etihad Arena, enough to make one of the UFC’s top stars of the past six years alter his stance on her. Jorge Masvidal’s opinion of Mackenzie Dern has changed after UFC 321 Former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal recently reflected on the events that unfolded at UFC 321 during the first episode of his new Death Row MMA podcast. ‘Gamebred’ admitted to not being a keen Mackenzie Dern supporter until Saturday’s numbered event, from which he emerged as her “biggest fan.” “Let me tell you, going into this fight I wasn’t the biggest Mackenzie Dern fan,” Masvidal said. “I am the biggest fan now. “The way she bit down on that mouthpiece — it wasn’t going her way, wasn’t going her way, and then she just started making it go her way. “She fought with grit, will,” he continued. “Couldn’t beat her in the wrestling department, still managed to get takedowns toward the end. “Mackenzie Dern’s wild. She made me a f—- fan. She came to fight and didn’t take no for an answer.” Mackenzie Dern won’t be a ‘baby champion’, hopes to fight Zhang Weili Following her rise to the throne at 115 pounds, Dern has no intention of shying away from the toughest tests. With that in mind, Dern is hoping to battle Zhang Weili should the Chinese star opt to return to strawweight after her flyweight title shot in November. “I’m not gonna be like a baby champion,” Dern said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I wanna be like whatever they [the UFC] want us to do — you know what I mean? We’ll be ready, and we’ll train for that. “I wanna beat the best — I am the best right now, but I wanna be able to beat whoever is coming. “I think like probably someone with a win streak,” she added regarding her first title defense opponent. “I think Weili, even if she was to lose to Valentina, but her win streak — like her being the former champion, that makes sense.”
