Zhang Weili Vacates UFC Strawweight Title
UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili has decided to vacate her title. This decision comes as the fighter prepares to move up to the flyweight division.
The UFC has already scheduled the next fight to define the new champion in this division.
Virna Jandiroba (22-3) will face Mackenzie Dern (15-5) for the vacant 115-pound title at UFC 321, an event that will take place on October 25 in Abu Dhabi. The news was announced by UFC CEO Dana White.
Zhang (26-3) made the decision to leave 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 a previous encounter in December 2020. On that occasion, Dern defeated Jandiroba by unanimous decision after three rounds.
Since that encounter in 2020, Jandiroba has achieved a 6-1 record, including a streak of five consecutive victories. On the other hand, Dern has had a more irregular path, with a 5-4 record. Despite this balance, Dern has shown a good performance in her last two fights, obtaining victories over Loopy Godinez and Amanda Ribas.
The UFC 321 event at the Etihad Arena will be headlined by a heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall (15-3) and Ciryl Gane (13-2). In addition, a bantamweight clash between former champion Umar Nurmagomedov (18-1) and Mario Bautista (16-2) was announced for the same event.
