Suarez Calls Out Dern After Vegas 124 Win

Tatiana Suarez is angling for a second strawweight title shot after her victory over Virna Jandiroba at UFC Vegas 124 on Saturday.

The win marked Suarez's third straight since losing her first title attempt to Zhang Weili by decision in February 2025. Now ranked second in the division, Suarez told reporters she has one clear target in mind for her next fight: current champion Mackenzie Dern.

Why Suarez Believes She Earned Title Shot

Suarez pointed to the rankings as justification for a championship opportunity. With Jandiroba sitting third and Weili's status uncertain following her November 2025 flyweight title loss to Valentina Shevchenko, Suarez argued the path forward is obvious. "That's the fight to make," she said, per MMA Junkie.

The matchup carries extra weight given Jandiroba's recent history with both women. Dern won the belt by defeating the Brazilian grappler before defending it once against Gillian Robertson. Suarez noted that her opponent had pushed the champion hard in their meeting, describing it as competitive rather than one-sided.

Suarez said her team executed their strategy effectively against Jandiroba's submission threats. She acknowledged brief disappointment with aspects of her performance but took satisfaction in beating an opponent who has troubled other top strawweights and tested Dern in a title fight.

The promotion has not announced when Dern will defend next or against whom.

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• BJPenn — Tatiana Suarez makes case for title fight against Mackenzie Dern following UFC Vegas 124 win: “That’s the fight to make”