Mackenzie Dern set to return at UFC 256 against Virna Jandiroba

UFC women’s strawweight contender Mackenzie Dern is set to return at UFC 256 when she takes on former Invicta FC champion Virna Jandiroba.

MMAFighting.com’s Guilherme Cruz was the first to report the Dern vs. Jandiroba fight that will take place at UFC 256, which is set to take place on December 12 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event recently lost its main event between UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and Gilbert Burns, though rumors have been floating out there that the rematch between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier could land on this card. Women’s 145lbs champ Amanda Nunes vs. Megan Anderson is also slated for this event.

Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba is targeted for UFC 256 in Las Vegas, multiple sources told me. Story coming to @MMAFighting.

— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) October 9, 2020

Mackenzie Dern vs. Virna Jandiroba is targeted for UFC 256 in Las Vegas, multiple sources told me. Story coming to @MMAFighting .

Dern (9-1) is the No. 14 ranked women’s strawweight in the UFC. The 27-year-old American has turned heads during his run in the Octagon thus far, going 4-1 in the UFC with wins over Randa Markos, Hannah Cifers, Amanda Cooper, and Ashley Yoder, with her lone loss coming to Amanda Ribas. In Dern’s last two fights since the coronavirus pandemic hit, she has won $50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonuses for her submission wins over Markos and Cifers. She has broken into the top-15 rankings with these latest victories.

Jandiroba (16-1) is the No. 15 ranked women’s strawweight in the UFC. The 32-year-old Brazilian has a 2-1 record in the Octagon thus far with wins over Felice Herrig and Mallory Martin and a loss to former UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza. Jandiroba’s finish of Herrig at UFC 252 was ultra-impressive as she became the first woman to submit the veteran Herrig. That win earned Jandiroba a spot in the top-15 rankings and now a date against Dern in what should be an entertaining fight between two submission experts.

Who do you think wins, Mackenzie Dern or Virna Jandiroba?