Ten years ago, the Brazilian-American secured back-to-back jiu-jitsu world titles in the UAE capital – and on 25 October, she returned to make history as the first woman to win a UFC title in the Middle East.
Abu Dhabi, November 4, 2025: Abu Dhabi has long been a meaningful destination for newly crowned UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern. It was here, a decade ago, that she first rose to international acclaim as a jiu-jitsu black belt. Last week, inside the Etihad Arena, she returned to the emirate to achieve the most significant milestone of her mixed martial arts career.
Dern faced compatriot Virna Jandiroba in the co-main event of UFC 321 for the vacant strawweight championship. After a closely contested five-round battle, Dern was declared the winner, becoming the first female athlete to claim a UFC title on Middle Eastern soil.
“There’s honestly no better place I could have imagined winning my first belt,” said Dern after receiving the championship inside the octagon on October 25. “I’m so proud to be the first woman to win a title here, it feels incredible. Abu Dhabi will always be a special part of my life; it will always be part of my story.”
Her journey began on April 25, 2015, when she won her first Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship title, followed by a second the following year. At the time, she was considered one of the most exciting young talents in the sport, known for her skill and determination, and she quickly became a crowd favourite at the Mubadala Arena.
Nearly a decade later, she leaves Abu Dhabi as a world champion once more.
“I’m the first woman to ever win a belt, a title in Abu Dhabi,” said the 32-year-old. “Abu Dhabi has a special place in my heart. I wanna come back all the time.”
For Dern, the timing made the victory even more meaningful. “It’s kind of a full circle moment – 100 per cent,” she said. “I was talking about it at the start of the year before I fought Amanda Ribas. I said: ‘Man, could you imagine if I fight for the belt in 2025 and I win the world title?’ You know, I won the world title in jiu-jitsu in 2015 and then, like, exactly 10 years later…
“[So] I was already imagining how crazy this would be. And it really did happen. I mean, you can’t plan things like that – like the exact day – the 25th – this location.”
Dern’s narrative aligns with Abu Dhabi’s own rise in combat sports, from hosting elite jiu-jitsu competitions annually to becoming a global centre for mixed martial arts, contributing to the growth of champions and inspiring athletes around the world.