With Weili Zhang pursuing championship dreams at 125 pounds next month, the strawweight division feels wide open — even with a newly-crowned champion.
Mackenzie Dern captured the vacant 115-pound title on Saturday night, as she outdueled Virna Jandiroba over five rounds to earn a unanimous decision triumph in the UFC 321 co-main event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. While Dern has won three straight bouts in the Octagon, she also has head-to-head losses against a couple women ranked below her. Although the Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout was savoring the moment on Saturday, she is also well aware that the rest of the division will be gunning for her in the near future.