Virna Jandiroba targets Mackenzie Dern trilogy in early 2027
First, the Brazilian faces Tatiana Suarez in Las Vegas in a Jiu-Jitsu vs. wrestling fight that could decide the next title shot.
Virna Jandiroba already knows when she wants her third fight with UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern: January or February 2027. First, the Brazilian, ranked No. 3 at 115 pounds, faces No. 2 Tatiana Suarez on Nov. 7 at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas, on the main card of UFC Fight Night: Bonfim vs. Brady.
Jandiroba laid out her plans to Sherdog in an interview published Thursday, written by Marcelo Alonso, who has also written for VF Comunica about how fight media has changed, and Sourav Chakraborty. The UFC has not booked any title fight for her yet.
The Tatiana Suarez fight
“I usually say it will be a clash of titans,” Jandiroba told Sherdog. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, she is 23-4 in MMA with 14 wins by submission. Suarez is 12-1 and came to MMA from wrestling.
This is the third time the UFC has booked the matchup. In August 2023, Jandiroba withdrew with a knee injury, and Jessica Andrade stepped in and was submitted by Suarez in the second round. In December 2024, Suarez pulled out of their UFC 310 bout a few weeks before the event.
Jandiroba said she went through two training camps for Suarez and drew on what she learned in the camp of Demian Maia, the Jiu-Jitsu ace who faced some of the best wrestlers in the UFC.
The history with Mackenzie Dern
Dern won both of their fights by unanimous decision. The first came at UFC 256 in December 2020, over three rounds. The second, at UFC 321 on Oct. 25, 2025, in Abu Dhabi, was for the vacant strawweight title and went the full five rounds.
It is a rare matchup at the top of MMA: two Jiu-Jitsu black belts fighting for a UFC belt. The daughter of Wellington “Megaton” Dias, Dern was a Jiu-Jitsu world champion before she won UFC gold.
Since the loss in Abu Dhabi, Jandiroba is back in the win column. In April, she beat Tabatha Ricci by unanimous decision and kept her place near the top of the rankings.
Jandiroba’s plan for 2027
Jandiroba pointed out that Dern herself has talked about defending the belt between January and February. “In fact, I only need one week of rest after this fight, and I’ll be ready for the rematch in January or February,” she told Sherdog.
A win over Suarez would strengthen her case. Both women have fought for the title and lost: Suarez fell to Zhang Weili at UFC 312 in February 2025, the only loss of her career.
They also share a recent opponent. Amanda Lemos was submitted by Jandiroba with an armbar in July 2024 and lost a unanimous decision to Suarez in September 2025.
If Jandiroba beats Tatiana Suarez, does she deserve a third shot at Mackenzie Dern? Tell us in the comments.
Read more:
- Megaton Dias opens Mat Stories, Kingz and VF Comunica series
- Jaqueline Amorim suspended six months for ostarine
- Clips, uncredited photos and artificial intelligence: what changed in fight media, by Marcelo Alonso
