Last night, in front of a packed crowd of 13,220 at the Etihad Arena, history repeated itself. UFC 321 delivered an electrifying rematch between Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strawweight title, with Dern ultimately securing a decision victory. Oddsmakers pegged Dern as the clear favorite, but she knew Jandiroba was no longer the fighter she had faced five years ago. Heading into the bout, Jandiroba had honed her ground game and entered on a five-fight win streak.

From the opening bell, Dern struck aggressively, while ‘Carcara’ tested her ground-and-pound game, attempting to assert control. Despite Jandiroba’s grit and determination, Mackenzie Dern leveraged her experience to outmaneuver the Brazilian over a hard-fought five rounds, ultimately earning the decision. Both fighters ended with swollen eyes, a testament to how closely contested the bout was and how neither competitor backed down. Mackenzie Dern recently revealed that she nearly considered quitting in the opening round.

Mackenzie Dern acknowledges coach’s role in overcoming early adversity at UFC 321

The first round of UFC 321’s co-main event proved tightly contested. At first, Virna Jandiroba appeared to land the more significant strikes early, but Dern quickly demonstrated her resilience and striking skill, landing precise counters. Mackenzie Dern admitted she felt on the edge and didn’t like how the round went. “The first round didn’t go as well as I expected,” she said during the post-UFC 321 interview.

When Dern returned to her corner, her coach offered critical guidance to help her refocus. Recalling his words, Dern said, “He’s just bringing you in there and he’s like, ‘Man, we have four more rounds to do this,’ you know what I mean? And you just really bring it in. You could just give up. People give up all the time, and I don’t understand how they can give up, because we really do have so much strength inside of ourselves.”

Dern currently trains under her father, legendary BJJ coach Wellington ‘Megaton’ Dias, and striking coach Jason Parillo. Buoyed by her coach’s advice, Dern fulfilled the dream she had envisioned seven years ago when she made her debut under Dana White’s promotion. That achievement, however, came after a long and arduous journey. Mackenzie Dern’s career has been anything but smooth, marked by highs and lows. Yet every time she confronted adversity, the American-Brazilian rebounded stronger, emerging each time with a renewed version of herself.

Dern recalls the struggle of regaining form and focus after motherhood

“Motherhood’s some bada**, primal, beautiful s*** that shouldn’t be hidden,” UFC icon Ronda Rousey once said about motherhood. And she’s right — no belt or title can match the achievement of becoming a mother. The journey to motherhood, however, can be more grueling than chasing a title shot, as UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern demonstrated last night. Dern welcomed her child in 2019, forcing her to step away from her UFC career. Upon her return, she suffered a loss against Amanda Ribas but later embarked on a four-fight winning streak. Even so, the physical and post-pregnancy changes to her body presented challenges that created setbacks along the way.

Reflecting on her post-pregnancy journey, Mackenzie Dern said, “I went through a pregnancy where everyone was like, ‘You’re never going to come back,’ because it’s like nine months out, you’re seeing all these girls pass you and do these amazing careers. Coming back from a pregnancy…it’s tough. First time I fought Virna, I was like this skinny little recent new mom.. just kind of getting back into it. And now, five years later, I’ve built muscle and am trying to get better and better and better.”

Now, Mackenzie Dern stands as the undisputed queen of the strawweight division. Who do you want to see her face next? And after such a razor-close battle, does Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba deserve a trilogy? Share your thoughts below.