The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has interesting plans for Strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern.
Per a first report from Laerte Viana (h/t Pelunaton), Dern is targeted to make the second defense of her 115-pound belt opposite Denise Gomes. The matchup remains unsigned but is expected to take place in March 2027.
This would be an unexpected and interesting new challenge for Dern. First and foremost, it should be noted that there are more obvious contenders. For example, Dern still has yet to face Zhang Weili, who vacated her belt to challenge Valentina Shevchenko last year up at Flyweight. Admittedly, Weili has been quiet on the sidelines, so it’s unclear when (or if) she’ll return to action.
There’s another clear option. Tatiana Suarez picked up her third-consecutive victory last weekend at UFC Vegas 124 by taking out former title challenger Virna Jandiroba. It wasn’t the prettiest win of all time, but three straight victories over Top 10 opponents is the kind of run that should secure a title shot.
Gomes, conversely, has won five straight bouts. Her signature win came in her last appearance, a thudding elbow KO over Yan Xiaonan (watch here). The rest of those victories aren’t as elite, but perhaps the UFC is opting to side with the young and exciting knockout artist rather than the more established wrestler.
If indeed Gomes secures her first title shot versus Dern, who walks away with Strawweight gold?
