Outlook for 2026: Dern didn’t have the smoothest road to the title. Early in her career, she struggled to hit the strawweight limit, but she eventually found her way, which meant securing a lot of wins via tapout. A 2-4 run from October 2021 to February 2024 left some wondering whether she reached the ceiling of a fighter worthy of a number, but not one who will reach title contention. However, a unanimous decision win over Loopy Godinez and a submission over Amanda Ribas, combined with several of her peers coming off losses, left the door open to a rematch against Virna Jandiroba with gold on the line.
In the title fight, both women fought valiantly, but Dern’s all-around improvements shined as she took the title on the scorecards. The 32-year-old continues to sharpen all her skills and possesses some of the most dangerous submission grappling on the roster regardless of weight class, so her run as champion should provide plenty of intrigue.
Zhang, at 36, could make history as the first woman to earn 3-time champion status should she indeed return to 115. and unseat Dern.
Also vying for shots include Tatiana Suarez and Yan Xiaonan. Suarez bounced back from her unsuccessful title bid against Zhang to defeat Amanda Lemos at Noche UFC, and considering her wrestling credentials, she could make for a fascinating stylistic matchup with Dern. Yan has a little more work to do, having split her fights since falling to Zhang at UFC 300, most recently losing to Jandiroba at UFC 314. However, Yan’s speed and striking credentials, combined with her improved defensive grappling, could provide heavy resistance.