Mackenzie Dern isn’t trying to have a title shot handed to her, particularly if she’s not correctly ready.
It’s comprehensible that Dern is listening to title buzz once more after an enormous win in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 101 principal occasion that noticed her submit Amanda Ribas with an armbar within the third spherical. Not solely did Dern avenge a 2019 loss to Ribas, she strung collectively consecutive wins for the primary time since 2021, and she or he held on to her spot on the strawweight ladder (Dern is presently No. 8 within the MMA Combating International Rankings).
The strawweight title is about to be defended at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 when champion Zhang Weili fights undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez, and the winner may wish a contemporary challenger sooner relatively than later. Dern is up for the chance, however prefers to take issues sluggish to ensure she’s not simply able to win the belt, however maintain on to it.
“I believe I’m very exhausting on myself and I at all times attempt to get higher,” Dern stated on the night’s post-fight press convention. “Even when I’ve an excellent efficiency, I believe I did so many issues fallacious. So I believe it’s a number of play messing in your head, so it will probably take your journey and possibly makes it just a little longer. However I believe in the long run it actually helps you need to be the perfect fighter potential when you can actually look again and have constructive criticism on your self.
“My concept isn’t to go battle for the belt after which lose it quick. My concept is to get the belt, and I need to be a dominant champion, so I’m not in a rush to get there. I need to have good fights, and I need to make a press release.”
It’s not unusual for the UFC to have alternative fighters readily available for title fights and given Suarez’s unlucky historical past of accidents, the promotion might have one for the UFC 312 co-main occasion.
Virna Jandiroba was initially anticipated to battle Suarez this previous December, solely to withdraw from that bout and find yourself in a title battle as a substitute. That leaves the door open for Jandiroba to be a backup for Zhang vs. Suarez, or it could possibly be Dern who will get the decision.
“I believe positively my identify could possibly be thrown in there if one thing occurs,” Dern stated. “They’ve referred to as me on brief discover earlier than, like with Amanda Lemos, her battle earlier than me was only for the title. So I believe positively I could possibly be thrown in there.
“If we’d settle for it or not, I don’t know, that’s one thing me and the workforce must undergo. I positively don’t need to settle for one thing if we’re not prepared and simply have a nasty efficiency, however I believe my identify’s positively shut there now.”
The dilemma Dern faces now’s that she has already fought a number of of the fighters ranked above her and she or he’s not sure if any of them are itching to satisfy her in a rematch. Her precedence is extending her win streak and if meaning beating Jandiroba once more, she’d think about it.
“None of them particular,” Dern stated when requested which opponent she’d choose to battle once more. “I’m simply pondering, my subsequent fights are going to be ‘Dern 2,’ I’m going to be in all these rematches. Any of the ladies, I believe I’m going to coach the perfect I can irrespective of who comes.
“Possibly Virna once more. I do know Tatiana got here out and so they form of threw out possibly I might step in [to fight Jandiroba], however I don’t assume that battle was actually good for her at the moment, however now that Tatiana’s going for the belt, possibly that’s one thing that she would need to do. However yeah, nothing particular.”
