Loopy Godinez Calls Out Virna Jandiroba for Rematch at UFC Noche at 115 Pounds
The UFC strawweight rankings are seemingly wide open, and one contender is hoping to capitalize on the opportunity to climb the ladder.
Per Krazy Kev MMA, seventh-ranked strawweight Loopy Godinez has called out third-ranked Virna Jandiroba for a rematch at UFC Noche. Godinez, a native of Mexico, is hoping to earn a spot on this year’s UFC Noche card.
looking at loopy godinez
Loopy Godinez and Virna Jandiroba first fought in Atlantic City in March 2024, with Jandiroba earning a unanimous decision victory. The fight was closely contested, with Godinez finding success in the striking exchanges while Jandiroba controlled much of the grappling. Although Godinez won one round on two of the three judges’ scorecards, Jandiroba ultimately walked away with the victory.
Since that first meeting, Loopy Godinez has gone 2-2, earning victories over former champion Jessica Andrade and Julia Polastri. Her two losses have come against current champion Mackenzie Dern and former title challenger Tatiana Suarez, who defeated Godinez in April.
Loopy Godinez has built a reputation for being one of the UFC’s most active fighters. Since joining the promotion at the start of 2021, she has competed 15 times, at least three more fights than any other woman on the UFC roster during that span. After beginning her UFC career 1-2, Godinez went on a 6-1 run between November 2021 and the end of 2023. She has remained ranked inside the strawweight top ten for nearly three years but has fallen short in three separate opportunities to crack the top five.
virna jandiroba will be a tough test
Jandiroba has been on a tear since the start of 2022. After losing to Amanda Ribas in 2021, she took time off to undergo surgery for a lingering knee injury. Since returning, Jandiroba has gone 6-1 over the past four years, with victories over former title challengers Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan. Her lone defeat during that stretch came against Mackenzie Dern in their fight for the vacant strawweight title last October.
strawweight is more wide open than ever
The timing of a Loopy Godinez-Jandiroba rematch is significant because the strawweight division is arguably the most wide open it has been in its history. Looking back at the division, it has largely been defined by dominant champions, with few contenders able to break through.
Carla Esparza won the inaugural strawweight championship in 2014 by winning The Ultimate Fighter Season 20, which introduced the division. She was unable to defend the title, however, as Joanna Jedrzejczyk dethroned her at UFC 185.
Jedrzejczyk ruled the division for several years, successfully defending the title five times before Rose Namajunas finally ended her reign at UFC 217 in November 2017.
Between the end of 2017 and 2025, the strawweight title became a revolving door. Namajunas lost the belt to Jessica Andrade in 2019, who then dropped it to Zhang Weili later that year. Namajunas reclaimed the championship with her iconic first-round head-kick knockout of Weili before Carla Esparza became a two-time champion in 2022 by defeating Namajunas in one of the most heavily criticized title fights in UFC history.
If you lost track, no worries, that’s three separate fighters becoming two-time UFC champions in the span of two years in the same division. Esparza was unable to defend the belt, as Weili submitted her at UFC 281 to regain the championship. Across the five-year span from 2017 through 2022, only five women even challenged for the strawweight title: Esparza, Jedrzejczyk, Namajunas, Andrade, and Weili, the first five fighters to become champions at 115 pounds.
Weili controlled the division for nearly three years after regaining the belt, defending it against Amanda Lemos, Yan Xiaonan, and Tatiana Suarez. Last November, however, Weili vacated the championship to move up to flyweight in pursuit of Valentina Shevchenko’s title.
Mackenzie Dern and Jandiroba fought for the vacant belt, with Dern edging out a unanimous decision victory. Weili came up short in her bid to become flyweight champion, and despite plans to return to strawweight, she does not appear likely to fight again in the immediate future.
That has created an opportunity for several contenders to earn their first UFC title shot. Fifth-ranked Gillian Robertson is scheduled to challenge Dern for the championship next weekend at UFC 330. No. 2-ranked Tatiana Suarez has positioned herself well for another opportunity, while Fatima Kline has quickly emerged as one of the division’s brightest young stars after climbing to sixth in the rankings with her victory over Tabatha Ricci earlier this month.
All of this is to say that Loopy Godinez could put herself squarely in the title picture if she gets a rematch with Jandiroba and avenges her 2024 loss. It will be interesting to see whether Jandiroba responds to the callout and if the UFC decides to book the rematch at UFC Noche.
