Mackenzie Dern Eyes Zhang, Suarez, Godinez After UFC 330

Mackenzie Dern is already naming her next challengers after retaining the UFC strawweight title at UFC 330, pointing to Weili Zhang, Tatiana Suarez and Lupita Godinez as the fighters most likely to get the next crack at her belt.

Dern improved to 17-5 with a dominant unanimous decision over Gillian Robertson in Philadelphia, leaning on her jiu-jitsu to control the fight from top to bottom. Asked afterward who could be next, Dern didn't have a definitive answer but ran through the logical names in the 115-pound division. "I know there's Tatiana, Weili... Who else? Lupita could be coming up pretty soon," Dern said.

Who Is the Frontrunner to Face Mackenzie Dern Next?

Tatiana Suarez looks like the cleanest path to a Mackenzie Dern title fight. Suarez, now 12-1, already challenged for the strawweight title once, dropping a decision to Weili Zhang last February before rattling off two straight wins over Amanda Lemos and Lupita Godinez. That puts her right back in the mix, and a rematch angle against a champion who has now beaten the woman who beat her would make sense both competitively and promotionally.

Weili Zhang, 26-4 and a former two-time strawweight champion, is the other obvious threat. Zhang vacated the 115-pound belt after beating Suarez in order to chase the flyweight title, but came up short against Valentina Shevchenko at 125 pounds. A return to strawweight puts her right back in title contention, and a fight between Dern and Zhang would be the kind of stylistic clash, grappling versus elite striking and wrestling, that headlines build around.

Lupita Godinez is the name Dern herself flagged as furthest away. Godinez sits at 14-6 and has dropped three of her last five fights, including a loss to Dern already on her record. That combination makes her the longest shot of the three to get an immediate title shot.

Betting Angle

None of these matchups are official yet, so there's no line to point to. But the betting market read is straightforward: Dern enters any of these three fights as a grappling-heavy favorite who has now beaten two of the three names on her own list. Zhang brings the most danger on the feet and represents the biggest style test, which is likely why sharp bettors would treat a Dern-Zhang pairing as the closest line of the group if it materializes. A Suarez rematch would carry rematch intrigue but Dern's ground game against a fighter who's already lost a title fight at 115 makes her tough to pick against on paper. Godinez, given the head-to-head history, would open as a live underdog rather than a live threat.

Dern's win over Robertson only reinforces her status atop the division, and whichever name gets the call next will step in as the betting underdog against a champion who has yet to lose a title defense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who does Mackenzie Dern want to fight next?

Mackenzie Dern named Weili Zhang, Tatiana Suarez and Lupita Godinez as the fighters who could be next in line for her UFC strawweight title after her win over Gillian Robertson at UFC 330.

How did Mackenzie Dern beat Gillian Robertson at UFC 330?

Mackenzie Dern used her grappling to control Gillian Robertson and win a unanimous decision at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, improving her record to 17-5 and retaining the UFC strawweight title.

What is Tatiana Suarez's UFC record heading into a potential Mackenzie Dern fight?

Tatiana Suarez is 12-1, having lost a strawweight title fight to Weili Zhang before beating Amanda Lemos and Lupita Godinez in her two most recent bouts.