UFC 330: Mackenzie Dern says Weili Zhang fight is not needed

Mackenzie Dern retained the UFC women’s strawweight championship at UFC 330, defeating Canadian challenger Gillian Robertson by decision. The result gave Dern a successful first defence of the 115-pound title she won after Weili Zhang vacated it last year.

Dern said her championship status does not depend on facing Zhang. She believes further title defences against whoever emerges as her next challenger will provide enough evidence of her standing at strawweight.

The title changed hands after Zhang moved up in an attempt to defeat Valentina Shevchenko and win the flyweight belt. Zhang did not succeed in that challenge, while Dern later defeated Virna Jandiroba to claim the vacant strawweight championship.

Dern also pointed to the form of the fighters she has beaten. Robertson arrived at UFC 330 on a five-fight winning run, while Jandiroba had also won five in a row before meeting Dern. Dern now has four consecutive victories herself.

The champion described the emotions from Saturday’s win as different from those that followed her title victory. Winning the belt had brought a stronger sense of relief and emotion, while the defence produced excitement and happiness because she had successfully kept the championship.

Dern’s first defence came after a lengthy gap from her title win. A proposed meeting with Zhang at the White House event in June did not take place, but Dern said she is prepared to fight whenever another opportunity arrives. She also wants to feature on UFC president Dana White’s next major event, should those plans take shape, after missing both the Sphere card and the White House show.