“Carcara” will be back.
No. 1-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Strawweight contender Virna Jandiroba suffered a unanimous decision loss to Mackenzie Dern for the vacant 115-pound title at UFC 321 this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 25, 2025) inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
A day after her hard-fought title defeat, the Brazilian released a statement on Instagram.
“I was never a coward,” Jandiroba wrote. “I fought the way I live — with the courage to be who I am, to live my way. I’ll keep going like this, a champion. With or without a belt, a CHAMPION!
Thank you all for the support and love.
To my people, I love you all.”
Jandiroba (22-4) saw her impressive five-fight win streak snapped, a run that included victories over Yan Xiaonan, Amanda Lemos (watch highlights), and Loopy Godinez.
At 37 years old, the Brazilian’s road back to UFC gold will be difficult after essentially cleaning out most of the top contenders to earn her title shot. Still, she’ll only drop slightly in the rankings — and nothing is impossible for the always-determined “Carcara.”
As for her next move, Jandiroba could be rebooked against Tatiana Suarez (if she doesn’t get an immediate title shot) or matched up with rising contender Tabatha Ricci.
For wall-to-wall UFC 321 coverage, video highlights and much more click here.
