Mackenzie Dern Says UFC Gold Changed Her Life, but She Is Chasing Records Next

Mackenzie Dern already owns the UFC women’s strawweight championship, but she does not view winning the belt as the end of her career ambitions.

Ahead of her first title defense against Gillian Robertson at UFC 330, Dern said she wants to build a résumé worthy of the UFC Hall of Fame and establish herself as the greatest 115-pound fighter in the promotion’s history.

“Besides winning the belt, I think Hall of Fame,” she said. “I would like to try and get there in some way.”

Her longer-term goals include setting records for victories and submissions while leaving an impact that extends beyond a single championship win.

Dern Wants Her Championship Reign to Leave a Mark

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During an interview with TMZ Sports, Dern identified Hall of Fame recognition as one of the biggest goals remaining in her career.  Dern said she wants to make a lasting contribution to mixed martial arts rather than be remembered only for reaching the top of one division.

“Just be impactful enough that I can make it to the Hall of Fame, feel like I made my mark in MMA,” she said. “And just have the records like most submissions, most wins, things like that.”

When asked whether she wanted to become the greatest strawweight in UFC history, Dern immediately embraced the possibility. “Yeah, that would be amazing,” she said. “Yes, yes.”

Winning the Belt Changed Her Confidence

Dern defeated Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025, to claim the vacant strawweight championship. The judges scored the five-round fight 49-46 and 48-47 twice in Dern’s favor at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Zhang Weili had vacated the championship before moving to flyweight, meaning Dern won the title without defeating a reigning champion. Dern said becoming champion nevertheless transformed how she approaches training and daily life.

“It’s changed completely,” she told TMZ Sports. “The confidence you have just living life, going into training, everything is like, I feel like it’s next level.” The victory improved Dern’s professional record to 16-5 and extended her UFC winning streak to three fights.

The Championship Brought Opportunities She Had to Decline

Dern said the increased attention accompanying the belt created new possibilities outside the Octagon, including movie work and travel. Maintaining the championship, however, required her to turn down opportunities that could interfere with training, preparation or recovery.

“I definitely had to say no to a lot of stuff,” she said. “Movie opportunities, a lot of trips.” Dern explained that she tries to accept as much work as possible without placing her physical preparation at risk.

Her First Defense Comes With Something to Prove

Dern will make her first title defense against Robertson in the UFC 330 co-main event at Philadelphia’s Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday, August 15. An ESPN analysis of the promotion’s champions placed Dern among the titleholders facing the most pressure to strengthen their positions in 2026.

She won a vacant belt, a successful defense would provide the first confirmation that she can maintain her place at the top against a challenger selected during her reign. Robertson enters the championship fight on a five-bout winning streak.

She has won six of her seven fights since returning to strawweight, including a unanimous decision over former title challenger Amanda Lemos in March. The UFC currently ranks Robertson fifth in the division.

UFC 330 Matches Two Accomplished Submission Specialists

The championship matchup brings together two of the most accomplished grapplers in the UFC’s women’s divisions. According to the UFC’s official strawweight record book, Dern leads the division with five submission victories.

She is also tied for second in strawweight history with 11 UFC wins, two behind Angela Hill’s divisional record. Robertson holds the broader UFC women’s record with seven submission victories accumulated across her flyweight and strawweight appearances.

Dern developed her reputation through elite Brazilian jiu-jitsu competition but has relied increasingly on improved striking during her UFC career, including in the title victory over Jandiroba. UFC 330 is headlined by welterweight champion Islam Makhachev’s title defense against Ian Machado Garry and will stream on Paramount+.