Mackenzie Dern Eyes Zhang Weili Showdown at the White House After Winning Strawweight Belt

ByTimothy Wheaton
Mackenzie Dern Wants a Title Match Against Weili Zhang at the UFC White House Event

Mackenzie Dern will headline the UFC 321 co-main event on October 25, 2025, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi when she faces Virna Jandiroba for the vacant women’s strawweight championship. The title was left open when former champion Zhang Weili moved up to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko.

In a recent, Dern acknowledged that she would not be ready to face Zhang at this point in her career but expressed confidence that winning the belt would change that trajectory.

Mackenzie Dern Targets Zhang Weili Title Fight at UFC White House Event

Dern and Jandiroba first met in December 2020, with Dern earning a unanimous decision win. Since then, Jandiroba has compiled an eight-fight win streak, demonstrating significant improvement in her ground control and striking defence.

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Dern, meanwhile, rebounded from two consecutive losses with submission victories over Lupita Godinez and a decision win against Angela Hill. Dern’s preparation under coach Jason Pillo has emphasized blending her Brazilian jiu-jitsu foundation with more refined takedown setups, a strategy designed to neutralize Jandiroba’s wrestling base.

In her interview with MMA Fighting, Dern said:

“I’m not thinking about fighting Weili right now. I don’t think I’d be ready to fight Weili at this moment in my career. But if I win the belt, and then we fight like at the White House or something in June, I feel like I’d be much more ready. Winning the belt gives you confidence and more time to train.”

​Zhang Weili reigned at strawweight from August 2019 until her decision to chase double-champion status in the flyweight division. During that period, she defended her belt against Yan Xiaonan, Tatiana Suarez and Carla Esparza. Dern’s ambition is to join the list of former champions whose reign included high-profile defences.

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The White House event, rumored for June 2026, is being positioned by UFC leadership as a landmark occasion that could elevate the profile of both fighters and of women’s MMA overall.

Zhang Weili L of China celebrates after the women’s strawweight championship at the UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, Feb. 9, 2025. (Photo by Hu Jingchen/Xinhua via Getty Images)
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Timothy Wheaton is a combat sports writer who covers MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. He has been a dedicated follower of these sports for decades. Tim has covered the UFC, GLORY, PFL, Bellator, and more, in person at live events as an on camera personality.

Tim also works with a host of other media outlets such as Calf Kick Sports, DAZN, Sportskeeda MMA, Combat Press, Fighters Only, MMA Sucka, Vecht Sport Info, MMA News, and Beyond Kickboxing. Tim is the authority on kickboxing and an MMA journalist who has covered K-1, PRIDE FC, UFC, GLORY Kickboxing, PFL, ONE Championship, and plenty more.

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