Mackenzie Dern, a professional MMA fighter in the UFC strawweight division and a recreational poker player, captured the vacant UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship on Saturday, October 25, defeating Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision.
Dern, who entered the bout ranked No. 5 in the division, earned her first UFC title after former champion Zhang Weili vacated the belt to move up and challenge for the flyweight championship against Valentina Shevchenko.
The fight was closely contested through four rounds, but Dern’s strong finish in the fifth proved decisive. The judges scored the bout 48–47, 49–46, and 48–47, giving Dern the edge in a rematch of their 2020 meeting, which she also won by decision.