UFC 321 to Feature Strawweight Title Fight in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, UAE — The UFC has announced a strawweight title fight between Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern for UFC 321, taking place on Oct. 25.

UFC President Dana White confirmed the matchup, which will crown a new champion at 115 pounds after the former champion vacated the title to move up to flyweight. Zhang Weili is set to challenge for the flyweight title at UFC 322 on Nov. 15 in New York.

This upcoming fight marks a rematch between Jandiroba and Dern, who first faced off in December 2020, with Dern winning by unanimous decision. Since that bout, Jandiroba has been on an impressive run, securing five consecutive wins, including victories over notable opponents like Yan Xiaonan and Amanda Lemos.

Mackenzie Dern, on the other hand, has experienced mixed results since their last encounter, holding a record of 5-4 in her past nine fights. However, she has shown promise lately, winning her last two bouts—one by decision over Loopy Godinez and another by submission against Amanda Ribas.

The event at Etihad Arena will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane. Additionally, a bantamweight bout featuring Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista has also been added to the card.

Umar Nurmagomedov, who suffered his first career loss earlier this year, will look to reclaim his momentum against Bautista, who has been on an impressive eight-fight win streak.