UFC analyst blasts ‘insignificant’ UFC 321 co-main event featuring Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba

UFC analyst Din Thomas isn’t a fan of the UFC 321 co-main event featuring Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba.

Dern and Jandiroba are set to rematch for the vacant strawweight title, after Weili Zhang vacated the belt to move up to face Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title. Ahead of the fight on Saturday, Thomas took aim at the fight, calling it the least significant title fight in UFC history.

“I mean this with all due respect,” Thomas said on the “On Paper with Anthony Smith” podcast. “I’m trying to be as respectful, but has there ever been a more insignificant title fight in the history – not, maybe, in the history, but in the last recent memory? You get where I’m coming from, right? No one seems to even care or have batted an eye at this fight.”

Thomas doesn’t believe the fight has much fanfare or feels like a title fight, which is why he believes it feels insignificant. But, regardless of what Thomas thinks, there will be a new strawweight champion crowned come Saturday at UFC 321.

Din Thomas expects Mackenzie Dern to become the new champ at UFC 321

Although Din Thomas doesn’t think it’s a major fight, he does believe Mackenzie Dern will win with ease.

Thomas doesn’t believe Dern has hit her prime or shown the best of her abilities. But, he believes if Dern takes this fight seriously, she will win and become the new champ.

“Mackenzie Dern, she punches as hard as anybody in the division, she grapples as well as anybody in the division, she’s got gas for days, she doesn’t get tired,” Thomas said. “It’s just sometimes, she doesn’t seem like she even cares about fighting. I’ve spoke to her on the desk, and she was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t really know how to shoot takedowns with punches.’

“She was already a professional and didn’t know these things. I’m thinking, how did you make it so far? She’s really good on the ground, she’s very athletic, and she’s born for this. She’s been in combat her entire life. I feel as though, if she takes it seriously, I think she should win this fight pretty handily.”

Dern defeated Jandiroba by decision back at UFC 256 in December, 2020.