Mackenzie Dern makes history as first woman to win UFC title in Middle East
Brazilian-American fighter marks milestone decade after Abu Dhabi jiu-jitsu triumph
ABU DHABI has once again become a defining stage in the career of Mackenzie Dern. Ten years after announcing herself to the world at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, the Brazilian-American returned to the UAE capital to achieve the ultimate milestone in mixed martial arts.
On October 25, inside the Etihad Arena, Dern captured the vacant UFC strawweight championship after a gruelling five-round battle against fellow Brazilian Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321. The 32-year-old emerged victorious to become the first woman ever to win a UFC title in the Middle East.
“There’s honestly no better place I could have imagined winning my first belt,” Dern said inside the octagon. “Abu Dhabi will always be a special part of my life; it will always be part of my story.”
Roots in Abu Dhabi
For Dern, the journey to UFC gold began almost a decade ago. On April 25, 2015, she captured her first world title at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, before returning the following year to claim a second consecutive gold medal. Back then, she was a rising black belt celebrated for her precision and tenacity inside the Mubadala Arena.
Now, nine years later, Dern stood once again under Abu Dhabi’s bright lights – this time as a world champion in the UFC. “I’m the first woman to ever win a belt in Abu Dhabi,” she said. “Abu Dhabi has a special place in my heart. I wanna come back all the time.”
What made the victory even more remarkable was the date itself. “It’s kind of a full circle moment – 100 per cent,” Dern said. “I won the world title in jiu-jitsu in 2015 and then, exactly 10 years later, I won the UFC world title – on the same date, the 25th.”
City of champions
Dern’s success also reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing legacy in combat sports. From hosting the world’s premier jiu-jitsu events to becoming a major hub for the UFC, the emirate continues to nurture elite athletes and inspire the next generation of champions.
For Mackenzie Dern, Abu Dhabi isn’t just a destination – it’s where her journey to greatness began, and where, a decade later, it reached its defining chapter.