Dern Names Three Challengers After UFC 330 Defense

Mackenzie Dern has three names in mind for her next strawweight title defense.

The champion dominated Gillian Robertson on the ground at UFC 330 in Philadelphia last weekend, keeping her belt with a clear decision win. In the cage afterward, Dern rattled off a short list of contenders who could challenge next, per Sherdog.

Suarez and Zhang Lead Potential Challengers

"I know there's Tatiana, Weili… Who else? Lupita could be coming up pretty soon," Dern said. Tatiana Suarez owns two straight wins since losing a title fight to Zhang early last year, most recently beating Amanda Lemos and Godinez. Zhang gave up the 115-pound strap after that Suarez win to chase Valentina Shevchenko's flyweight belt but came up short.

Lupita Godinez appears less likely given three losses in her last five and a prior defeat to Dern. Suarez makes the most sense on form — she challenged for gold before and has climbed back into position with consecutive finishes.

Dern meets the media again at the UFC Performance Institute on Wednesday ahead of a potential announcement on her next booking.

Reported via:

• Sherdog — Mackenzie Dern names three potential opponents following UFC 330 win