Dern Rejects Zhang Rematch To Prove Title Legitimacy

Mackenzie Dern has no interest in proving herself against Weili Zhang to validate her UFC strawweight championship.

The 33-year-old Brazilian successfully defended her 115-pound title against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on August 15, cruising to a one-sided unanimous decision victory. But questions about her legitimacy persist because Zhang never lost the belt — she vacated it to chase a second title at flyweight, where Valentina Shevchenko dominated her in a lopsided fight, per MMA Mania.

Dern's Four-Fight Streak Speaks For Itself

Dern captured the vacant strap by beating Virna Jandiroba and has now defended it once, something Jessica Andrade and Carla Esparza failed to do during their strawweight reigns. Asked at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference if she needs to beat Zhang to solidify her status, Dern was direct. "No, I don't need to beat Weili to be a champ," she said, according to MMA Mania. "I felt like the champion before when I won the belt. Gillian had a five-fight winning streak, Virna had a five-fight winning streak and I just got a four-fight winning streak. So, I don't know how much more I need to do to prove that."

Zhang has been absent from the division since vacating, with recent social media posts showing her focused on lifestyle content rather than fight preparation. Dern is targeting a return in early 2027 for her second title defense, though it's unclear whether the former champion will resurface by then.

Reported via:

• MMA Mania — Fake?!?!? UFC 330 winner Mackenzie Dern doesn’t need to defeat Weili Zhang to ‘solidify’ herself as champion