Virna Jandiroba rematches Mackenzie Dern this Saturday at UFC 321 with a vacant strawweight title on the line in Abu Dhabi. A woman who has chased greatness since entering the sport more than a decade ago, “Carcara,” views the UFC belt differently now.
Jandiroba became Invicta FC champion in 2018, defending the title and transitioning to the UFC a year later. She had stumbled in key moments before starting the five-fight winning streak that culminated to this opportunity. With Zhang Weili out of the scene to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight, it’s up to Jandiroba and Dern to start a new reign.
“It took years of work to reach this moment,” Jandiroba told MMA Fighting. “I’m going there to claim that belt on Saturday, but I haven’t been waiting to have the belt, the symbol itself, to feel like a champion and be proud of my story and my journey.”
To face a fellow jiu-jitsu practitioner in Abu Dhabi is “symbolic”, Jandiroba said, given the recent cultural impact of the martial art in the country. On top of that, Saturday is an important day for jiu-jitsu as the Gracie family celebrates 100 years of their jiu-jitsu history with a seminar earlier that day in Rio de Janeiro.
“That’s just incredible,” Jandiroba said of the Gracie jiu-jitsu anniversary. “I really believe in the mystery of the universe, in how it sends out all this energy. I loved finding that out.”
“People value jiu-jitsu a lot here [in Abu Dhabi],” she added. “It feels like a crowning moment, and I think jiu-jitsu gains a lot from this. I know we’re going to be doing MMA in there, but we express ourselves so much through jiu-jitsu.”
Jandiroba lost a three-round decision against Dern in December 2020, and another decision to Amanda Ribas shortly after she stopped Kanako Murata. Jandiroba said her life changed at that moment, and went on to score victories over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Lupita Godinez, Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan to get to Abu Dhabi as a title challenger.
“The fight against Mackenzie, like many others — especially the ones we lose — brings a lot of learning,” Jandiroba said. “I’m sure that it was the Mackenzie loss, along with my victories, that brought me here. It was about learning and turning certain keys. That’s a positive thing, the fact that we’ve already fought, that I already know her in some way. I tend to perform better in familiar environments, so I think that’s something good.”
“I’m much more mature now, more complete and more confident,” she continued. “People will have to tune in to see the fight, the strategy, and everything else [laughs]. But what I can say is that I’m different. I’ve worked a lot on myself over these years. You can see the changes in my behavior, the technical evolution and everything else, which I think are the results of maturity and of finding my own way to express myself inside the octagon.”
Jandiroba’s current winning streak includes three names that have beaten Dern since their 2020 meeting — Lemos, Yan and Rodriguez — and that alone gives her extra confidence to get the job done Saturday.
“I had to challenge myself deeply to face these women who are part of the elite of the division, to overcome a lot within myself, both mentally and psychologically,” Jandiroba said. “All those fights have given me experience, consistency, and confidence for Saturday’s fight.”
