Mackenzie Dern to return at UFC 256; faces former Invicta FC Strawweight Champion
Mackenzie Dern suffered the first defeat of her professional MMA career at the hands of Amanda Ribas via unanimous decision in October of 2019.
Nevertheless, Dern subsequently returned to her winning ways and is presently on a two-fight winning streak, having defeated Hannah Cifers and Randa Markos.
Both Cifers and Markos fell to Dern by way of submission which, in turn, has helped the latter regain a considerable amount of momentum as she works her way towards the upper echelons of the UFC Women’s Strawweight division.
Mackenzie Dern will face Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256
As reported by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting, Mackenzie Dern is likely to face Virna Jandiroba at UFC 256.
Cruz put forth a tweet, noting that multiple sources revealed that the UFC is indeed looking to book Dern vs. Jandiroba for UFC 256. The tweet read as follows
“Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba is targeted for UFC 256 in Las Vegas, multiple sources told me. Story coming to @MMAFighting.”
The UFC 256 fight card that's scheduled to take place on December 12th, 2020, was to be headlined by a Welterweight Title bout between reigning champion Kamaru Usman and challenger Gilbert Burns.
However, the aforesaid Welterweight Title bout is no longer a part of UFC 256, as Usman withdrew from the event purportedly due to him requiring more time to recover from injuries.
Usman’s injuries haven’t been disclosed in the public realm as of yet.
The only title fight currently featured on the UFC 256 card is a UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship bout between reigning titleholder Amanda Nunes and number-1 contender Megan Anderson.
Mackenzie Dern is likely to face a fellow top-tier grappler, Virna Jandiroba, at UFC 256
As of this writing, the UFC is yet to officially announce the UFC 256 bout between Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba.
Regardless, the aforementioned matchup is likely to pique the interest of many in the MMA community.
Jandiroba bounced back from a unanimous decision loss to Carla Esparza by defeating Mallory Martin and Felice Herrig in a pair of incredible performances.
Jandiroba defeated Martin via rear-naked choke – Following which, she beat Herrig with a beautiful armbar submission that earned Jandiroba Performance of the Night honors.
On that note, many in the combat sports community have for long been clamoring to witness Mackenzie Dern face an elite grappler inside the Octagon.
Although Dern is regarded by many as the best BJJ fighter in the UFC right now, Jandiroba’s well-rounded grappling arsenal replete with disciplined wrestling tactics are likely to pose a unique challenge to Dern.
Which fighter do you think will walk away victorious at UFC 256 – Mackenzie Dern or Virna Jandiroba? Sound off in the comments.