The aggressive facet of Mackenzie Dern hopes to sooner or later share the octagon with Zhang Weili, but when it occurred now, she believes it wouldn’t be the proper time, even when Zhang didn’t make the transfer as much as flyweight.
Now Dern steps into her first UFC title struggle this Saturday as she faces Virna Jandiroba within the co-main occasion of UFC 321 with the vacant strawweight championship on the road. Zhang vacated the belt to problem Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title within the co-main occasion of subsequent month’s UFC 322 occasion.
Dern respects every little thing Zhang has achieved at 115 kilos, and that’s why the timing wouldn’t have been proper to face the multi-time divisional champ at this level in her profession.
“I positively assume that if Weili was champion proper now of our division, and I imply, clearly, I wouldn’t say no to a title shot, however I don’t assume I’d be able to struggle Weili proper now at this second of my profession, you realize what I imply?,” Dern advised MMA Preventing. “However I do assume that if I do win the belt, after which no matter — if we have been to struggle like on the White Home or one thing in June — I really feel like I’d be far more prepared and ready to struggle her.
“I do know it’s like, OK, it’s identical to what? Like six months or eight months distinction. How a lot better do you assume you’re going to get in 8 months? However I believe simply successful the bell, there’s a confidence half that you simply get from that, and it’s simply extra coaching and extra time. She was simply so dominant within the strawweight division.”
Dern will get her shot at UFC gold in her sixteenth octagon look, and does so towards the division’s prime contender — one which Dern has already defeated. Of their first assembly at UFC 256 in December 2020, Dern picked up a unanimous resolution win over Jandiroba.
The 32-year-old would love the prospect to face Zhang down the highway, but when she doesn’t, Dern sees the strawweight division opening up with recent faces and new contenders.
“I actually simply really feel like that is going get all of us a bit of bit extra uplifted,” Dern defined. “Like, we type of get re-energized, a bit of bit extra confidence in the entire division, type of see completely different matchups and all of us simply maturing in a different way as fighters, and I really feel like both me or Virna, we might be extra ready to struggle her if she does determine to come back again down straight away, you realize what I imply? So I’m not likely pondering an excessive amount of like, ‘Oh, that’ll be unhappy [if we never fight].‘
“She’s achieved a lot, so if she does retire, or if she does determine to remain at 125, I wouldn’t assume an excessive amount of about it. I imply, it’s the struggle world. She’s been on this for like how lengthy? So it’s not like, ‘Oh, I’m solely a champion if I beat her, however I wish to have the chance to struggle her.
“I’m not going to say that I wouldn’t be like, ‘Man, it might be very thrilling to struggle her,‘ however, yeah, the principle aim is to beat Virna, win the belt, after which we’ll see if she comes again down or not. I believe if she does come again down, me or Virna shall be able to struggle her. And if not, it’ll be unhappy, however the strawweight division is rising a lot, there’s so many powerful ladies developing that folks aren’t going to be bummed.”
