Zhang Weili Vacates UFC Strawweight Title
The former UFC strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, has made the decision to vacate her title. This determination is due to her anticipated transition to the flyweight category. The UFC has already scheduled the fight to define the new champion in this division. Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern will face each other for the 115-pound belt at UFC 321. The event will take place on October 25th in Abu Dhabi. The news was confirmed by UFC CEO Dana White. Zhang Weili (26-3) will seek the flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322, scheduled for November 15 in New York.This fight is a rematch of their encounter in December 2020. In that match, Dern defeated Jandiroba by unanimous decision.
Since that fight, Jandiroba has achieved a record of 6-1, including a streak of five consecutive victories. For her part, Dern has had a more irregular performance, with a record of 5-4. Despite this, Dern has shown a good level in her last two fights, obtaining victories over Loopy Godinez and Amanda Ribas. The UFC 321 event will also feature a heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall (15-3) and Ciryl Gane (13-2) as the main event. In addition, a bantamweight matchup between Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista was announced.
