Zhang Weili Vacates UFC Strawweight Title
Former UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili has decided to vacate her title, anticipating her move to the flyweight division. The UFC has already scheduled the next title fight.
Virna Jandiroba (22-3) will face Mackenzie Dern (15-5) for the vacant 115-pound title at UFC 321, which will take place on October 25 in Abu Dhabi. The announcement was made by UFC CEO Dana White.
Zhang (26-3) is leaving the division to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title at UFC 322, scheduled for November 15 in New York.
This title fight is a rematch of their December 2020 encounter, where Dern defeated Jandiroba by unanimous decision in a three-round fight.
Since that encounter in 2020, Jandiroba has had a 6-1 record, including an active streak of five consecutive victories. On the other hand, Dern’s path has been more irregular, with a 5-4 record. However, Dern has shown a good performance in her last two fights, obtaining victories over Loopy Godinez and Amanda Ribas.
The UFC 321 event, to be held at the Etihad Arena, will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall (15-3) and Ciryl Gane (13-2). White also announced a bantamweight clash between former title contender Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1) and Mario Bautista (16-2) for the same event.
