Virna Jandiroba is looking up the strawweight ladder after defeating Tabatha Ricci in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 272 at Meta APEX, and she sees two clear options: a title shot or a rematch with Mackenzie Dern.
Jandiroba previously faced Dern for a vacant UFC strawweight title in October, coming up short by unanimous decision after the belt was left open when Zhang Weili moved to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko.
"It's a very hard question," Jandiroba said when asked about what should come next. "I think the best option would be fighting those girls I want to face for the belt. If that would be possible, that would be ideal."
Her plans could hinge on whether Zhang returns to strawweight. "Yeah, it has to be if Weili comes back," Jandiroba said. "I know I said some stuff up there. But if Weili is back, it's her rightful spot to fight for the title. ... She should be able to beat Mackenzie. I still want to fight Mackenzie one more time, but I have to fight Weili before I retire. I think that's a fight that I need to get in there, feel what she has to offer, and get that understanding to what Weili is and what she represents for the division."
Timing is also a priority. "I think second (quarter) would be ideal," she added, stressing the need for full preparation. "It's not just about being healthy or anything but having the proper time to prepare, not just for the fight itself but for the weight cut and everything that revolves around the actual fight. There's a lot of intricate parts that work out better if you have time to prepare. And there are some fights going on in the division that we're going to wait to see what happens and how the division shapes up because there's a lot of stuff going on."
