“That Is Water Under the Bridge”: Virna Jandiroba Dismisses First Mackenzie Dern Fight Ahead of UFC 321
Virna Jandiroba enters her vacant UFC strawweight title fight at UFC 321 with a mindset shaped by five years of learning, loss, and transformation. The Brazilian grappler faces Mackenzie Dern this Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, revisiting a matchup that ended in defeat back in December 2020.
Virna Jandiroba Reflects on Growth Since First Mackenzie Dern Fight
Speaking at the pre-fight press conference, Jandiroba made clear that the fighter stepping into the octagon this weekend bears little resemblance to the one who lost that unanimous decision at UFC 256. The 37-year-old reflected on how the first encounter became a turning point rather than a setback.
”I have watched that fight several times and I had a lot of time to live and feel that defeat and learn from it and process it. So I don’t see that fight anymore. I don’t watch that fight anymore because I’m a different Virna today. I’ve gone through many experiences since the fight against Mackenzie, it’s been five years. So what I took from that first fight with Mackenzie was the amount of learning that I got from that defeat.”
The loss to Dern at UFC 256 marked one of three defeats in Jandiroba’s UFC career, but the years since have demonstrated remarkable growth. She has compiled a 6-1 record following that setback, culminating in a five-fight winning streak that includes a second-round armbar submission of former title challenger Amanda Lemos in July 2024 and a dominant unanimous decision over Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314 in April 2025.
The Xiaonan victory proved particularly significant. Jandiroba controlled the former title challenger for nearly 10 minutes across three rounds, threatening submissions throughout and earning all three scorecards by a 30-27 margin. The performance secured her position as the number one contender in the strawweight division at age 37.
Jandiroba’s transformation extends beyond technical improvements in the cage. She credits mental and personal development as the foundation for her athletic progress.
”I’ve changed a lot in these last five years,” Jandiroba told MMA Junkie earlier this week. “I invested a lot of time into knowing myself better and improving as an athlete and as a person. Today, I feel like a different woman — more aware, more balanced, and that naturally made me a better fighter. The technical improvements are clear, but the most important transformation was mental. I learned to be kinder to myself, and I think most people would improve their quality of life if they did the same”.
The title opportunity materializes following Zhang Weili’s decision to vacate the strawweight championship and move up to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322 in November. Zhang’s departure ends a dominant reign that saw her successfully defend the belt three times after reclaiming it in November 2022.
”I think the loss was very important, and more important than the fight itself is what I learned from it. I believe now I’m a completely different person and a completely different fighter than I was back then. That is water under the bridge and it doesn’t really reflect much of what you’re going to see on Saturday. So still the big thing about that fight was just how much I grew because of it and how much I learned from it.”
UFC 321
The vacant title fight unfolds in the co-main event beneath Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane. Dern enters as a slight betting favorite despite Jandiroba’s recent momentum, with odds tightening from an initial -215 for Jandiroba to approximately -120 in her favor.
Both fighters acknowledge the other’s evolution since their first meeting. Jandiroba commended Dern’s improvements in striking and wrestling, areas that had been questioned earlier in her career. Dern holds a 15-5 MMA record and has won two consecutive fights heading into Saturday, including a submission victory over Amanda Ribas.
The matchup pairs two elite grapplers who have taken different paths to this moment. Jandiroba boasts 14 career submission victories, matching the total former middleweight contender Demian Maia had at retirement. Her recent performances showcase refined control on the mat, averaging 2.29 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 35% accuracy rate and attempting 1.66 submissions per 15 minutes.
UFC 321 marks the promotion’s 22nd visit to Abu Dhabi, with the main card scheduled for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ pay-per-view. For Jandiroba, the location and timing represent the culmination of a six-year UFC journey that began with a loss to Carla Esparza in April 2019 and now arrives at her first title shot.
The Brazilian’s evolution from that December 2020 defeat to title contender reflects both technical refinement and fundamental personal growth. Whether that transformation proves sufficient against an opponent who defeated her once before will be determined this Saturday, but Jandiroba’s message remains unambiguous: the fighter Dern faces this weekend is not the same one she beat five years ago.
