While UFC 321 will always be remembered for the unfortunate Tom Aspinall double eye poke, the night in Abu Dhabi also marked a historic milestone for Mackenzie Dern. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace finally captured UFC gold, defeating Virna Jandiroba in the co-main event to claim the vacant strawweight title. This championship clash came together after long-reigning champion Zhang Weili vacated her belt to move up and challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight crown set for UFC 322 in New York next month.
Despite Dern’s breakthrough moment, ushering in a new era for the 115lbs division, former UFC lightweight and analyst Din Thomas had dismissed the co-main event as irrelevant ahead of the event.