Abu Dhabi – Mackenzie Dern has not taken the fast track to her UFC title shot.
That arrives this Saturday in the form of a rematch with ex-Invicta FC strawweight champion Virna Jandiroba. The opportunity was made possible by Weili Zhang giving up her 115-pound title to take a fight with flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko; Dern vs. Jandiroba goes down for the vacant UFC strawweight title.
As Dern (15-5) noted during Wednesday’s UFC 321 media day in Abu Dhabi when speaking to media outlets such as Cageside Press, she was “winning everything” in her original sport of jiu-jitsu.
Then she changed sports. “I humbled myself to start something new and basically become a white belt and just like learn and persevere,” Dern said. “Especially on a bigger platform with all these critics. The UFC fans love you, hate you, then love you back, so it’s a lot like a roller coaster ride.”
Dern would have loved an undefeated career, but at the same time added, “I’m proud of my journey, and I think that’s what will make me a great champion, the adversity that I’ve been through.” And instead of a shooting star like Ronda Rousey, Dern sees himself more akin to Charles “Do Bronxs” Oliveira. “Everyone saw he had so much potential, he’s been a bit up and down, and he’s been at it for a while and he’s got all these entries.”
It’s been 10 years since Dern won her world title in BJJ, and she had wondered what it would be like to win a UFC championship 10 years later. It was then announced that the fight would take place in Abu Dhabi, where she won her jiu-jitsu crown. According to Dern, both the tenth anniversary and the return to familiar territory bode well.
“I really think it’s fate. I don’t know what the outcome will be exactly on Saturday, but I really believe the stars are aligned.” Since I’ve been training since she was five years old, “it’s been a long time, and I feel like this is the time. To be here in Abu Dhabi with so many great results, I’ve never had a bad experience here, and I don’t plan on having a bad experience on Saturday night.”
Watch Mackenzie Dern’s full UFC 321 media day appearance above.
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