Dern Rejects Weili Bout To Solidify Title Run

Mackenzie Dern said she has nothing left to prove as UFC strawweight champion, even without facing former titleholder Zhang Weili.

Dern defended her 115-pound belt for the first time Saturday at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, grinding out a unanimous decision over Gillian Robertson. The Brazilian-American worked her grappling game throughout, nearly locking a rear-naked choke at the end of the first round and controlling position on the mat to earn the nod from all three judges, according to BJ Penn.

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Dern On Weili Legacy Question

During the post-fight press conference, Dern was asked whether she needs to defeat Weili to give her title run credibility. Weili vacated the strawweight championship in November 2024 to pursue the flyweight belt and never lost the 115-pound strap in her second reign. "I felt like the champion before I won the belt," Dern told reporters, per MMA Junkie. "I don't think I need to (beat) Weili to be a champ. People retire. The more defenses I can get at this, whoever comes next, I think I proved I was the champ. Gillian was on a five-fight winning streak. I don't know how much more I need to do from that."

Dern stopped short of calling out Weili, who lost her bid for the flyweight championship in November 2025 and has not competed since. The champion said she will leave the matchmaking to UFC officials but is ready for a second defense if the Fight Wing Hall of Famer is next.

Reported via:

• BJPenn — UFC 330 winner Mackenzie Dern doesn’t need to beat Zhang Weili to solidify title reign: “I proved I was the champ”