Mackenzie Dern unsure why Weili Zhang title fight fell through

UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern said she has no idea why her first title defense against Weili Zhang never came together.

Dern defends her 115-pound belt against Gillian Robertson in the co-main event of UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia, according to MMA Mania. Many expected her to face Zhang, who vacated the title before Dern won it, but the matchup was scrapped for reasons the champion says remain unclear to her.

Dern tells Helwani she wasn't given explanation for Robertson booking

Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Dern said the promotion had floated multiple dates for a Zhang fight — including UFC Macau, the White House, and New Jersey — before pivoting to Robertson following her April win over Amanda Lemos. "I'm not sure what happened or what's going on," Dern said, per the report.

The champion pushed back on critics who claim she is not the real titleholder because she never beat Zhang. "The people who are saying that obviously have never been a champion in fighting," Dern said. She added that if she needs six more months or several title defenses to prepare for Zhang, she welcomes the extra time to improve.

Zhang has not publicly stated whether she plans to stay at flyweight, where she challenged for a second belt last year at UFC 322, or return to strawweight, where she recorded four title defenses across two reigns. If the promotion discussed multiple Dern-Zhang dates, that suggests Zhang remains in the title picture at 115 pounds.

Dern faces Robertson at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on August 15.

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• MMA Mania — UFC 330’s Mackenzie Dern addresses missing Weili Zhang fight: ‘Not sure what happened’