Virna Jandiroba thinks Saturday’s co-main event against Tatiana Suarez at UFC Vegas 124 could do more than settle a contender matchup. It could also shape the next step in the 115-pound title picture, including the possibility of a third fight with Mackenzie Dern.
Jandiroba said she believes a win over Suarez would put her in position for another title shot. She also pointed to the fact that she has already fought Dern twice, making a potential trilogy a natural storyline if the division opens back up for her. Both Jandiroba and Suarez have already fallen short in title challenges at strawweight, and both are trying to work their way back into the conversation.
A fight with major implications
The timing matters for both women. Jandiroba and Suarez were supposed to meet before, but an ACL injury forced Jandiroba out of their scheduled 2023 fight and into surgery. Then in 2024, Suarez withdrew from a scheduled bout with Jandiroba and received a title shot against Zhang Weili instead. After losing to Weili, Suarez bounced back with back-to-back wins over Amanda Lemos and Loopy Godinez.
Jandiroba said she sees Saturday’s bout as a fair matchup because the two are close in the rankings and both have already been in the title picture. She added that whoever wins should deserve another shot at the belt, and she described the contest as a possible title eliminator.
At the same time, Jandiroba made it clear she is not approaching this stage of her career like a long-term rebuild. She said she is at a point where she simply wants to fight, enjoy the moments she has left, and express herself. Jandiroba said she does not have many fights left in her career and expects retirement to come soon.
Why the Dern angle keeps coming up
The Mackenzie Dern connection is obvious. Jandiroba has already lost twice to Dern, and that is part of why she framed a future trilogy as a realistic possibility if she can keep climbing. She said her own reference points matter, but every fight is different and there is no exact formula for what happens next.
Jandiroba also said she is assuming for now that Zhang Weili will not be returning, since Weili has not said anything publicly. That leaves Saturday’s fight as a meaningful checkpoint for two contenders trying to stay close to the center of the division. If Jandiroba wins, she believes it could put her right back into the title mix, with Dern potentially waiting on the other side of that path.
For now, the equation is simple. Jandiroba and Suarez meet on Saturday, and the winner may come out of UFC Vegas 124 with more than a victory. She may come out with a real argument for another crack at the 115-pound championship.
