Abu Dhabi has a special place in my heart, UFC champion Dern says

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has always been a defining place for Mackenzie Dern — and now, it’s part of her legacy once again. Ten years after the Brazilian-American grappling prodigy burst onto the global stage by winning consecutive gold medals at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Dern returned to where it all began — this time to etch her name in UFC history.

On October 25 at the Etihad Arena, the 32-year-old defeated fellow Brazilian Virna Jandiroba in a five-round battle at UFC 321 to claim the vacant strawweight title, becoming the first woman ever to win a UFC championship in the Middle East.

“There’s honestly no better place I could have imagined winning my first belt,” Dern said inside the Octagon moments after her victory. “I’m so proud to be the first woman to win a title here. Abu Dhabi will always have a special place in my heart — it’s part of my story.”

That story began a decade ago, on April 25, 2015, when Dern captured her first world title as a black belt at the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship. She repeated the feat a year later, cementing her status as one of jiu-jitsu’s brightest stars with a fearless, technical style that captivated fans at the Mubadala Arena.

Nine years later, Dern left Abu Dhabi once more as a world champion — this time in mixed martial arts.

“I’m the first woman to ever win a belt, a title in Abu Dhabi,” she said with a smile. “Abu Dhabi has a special place in my heart. I want to come back all the time.”

For Dern, the timing of her victory carried a sense of destiny — even down to the date.

“It’s definitely a full-circle moment,” she reflected. “Earlier this year, before my fight with Amanda Ribas, I remember saying, ‘Imagine if I fight for the belt in 2025 — ten years after winning my jiu-jitsu world title?’ And then it actually happened — on the same day, the 25th, in the same city. You can’t script that.”

Dern’s journey mirrors Abu Dhabi’s own rise in the world of combat sports. From hosting elite jiu-jitsu tournaments to becoming a premier destination for global MMA events, the emirate continues to produce champions, shape sporting history, and inspire the next generation of fighters.