After Zhang Weili vacated her strawweight title to chase gold in the flyweight division, Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace-turned-MMA star Mackenzie Dern saw her moment to shine. And she seized it. Last Saturday night at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, the 32-year-old defeated Virna Jandiroba for the second time in a grueling five-round battle to become the new UFC strawweight champion. But the victory brought more than just the belt for Dern.
In an emotional post-fight moment, the newly crowned champion celebrated inside the Octagon with her daughter, Moa. Failing to fight back tears, Dern handed her the belt to her daughter, creating one of the night’s most touching scenes during her in-ring interview with Daniel Cormier . Later, she joined Dan Hellie, McKenzie Pavacich, and Michael Bisping

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