MMA Pound-for-Pound Rankings: Mackenzie Dern is a UFC champion – but does that make her a top 5 fighter?

Mackenzie Dern has a UFC title now and there is no question about that.

How much this particular gold belt means, however, is certainly up for debate.

Let’s write it out one more time, just because it’s still pretty crazy to see it: Mackenzie Dern is A UFC CHAMPION. It doesn’t matter how you slice it, it’s in the record books. And that’s awesome for her.

But she’s indisputably not the best strawweight in the world. That status belongs to Zhang Weili, who cleared out all her current contenders (with respect to Dern and Virna Jandiroba) and deservedly earned herself a shot at flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322 on Nov. 15. Should Zhang lose to Shevchenko, return to strawweight, and get a shot at Dern, she’d be no lower than an 8-to-1 favorite. That’s a conservative estimate.

All of that is to say finding Dern’s place on the Pound-for-Pound list is tricky. On the one hand, she beat Jandiroba fair and square and now holds a UFC title, widely regarded as the most prestigious trophy you can hold in MMA; on the other hand, Dern wasn’t exactly on a tear before she earned her title shot. She has decisive losses to Amanda Lemos, Jessica Andrade, and Yan Xiaonan, all bouts that happened in the past three years. Not exactly ancient history.

For the most part, our panel has decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and vault her over Yan and everybody else, sending her all the way from unranked to No. 6 on the list. It’s an unprecedented debut, though considering how far Dern was from a title shot at one point, oddly fitting one.

Check out the post-UFC 321 Women’s Pound-for-Pound Rankings below and let us know in the comments where you think Dern belongs on the list.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 6 Manon Fiorot def. No. 19 Jasmine Jasudavicius, Mackenzie Dern def. No. 11 Virna Jandiroba, No. 12 Tatiana Suarez def. Amanda Lemos

Upcoming bouts featuring ranked fighters: No. 1 Zhang Weili vs. No. 2 Valentina Shevchenko (UFC 322, Nov. 15), No. 4 Cris Cyborg vs. Sara Collins (PFL Europe, Dec. 13), No. 9 Erin Blanchfield vs. Tracy Cortez (UFC 322, Nov. 15), No. 15 Seika Izawa vs. Saori Oshima (RIZIN LANDMARK 12, Nov. 3)

Fighters also receiving votes (number of ballot appearances shown): Norma Dumont (2), Taila Santos (2), Jessica Andrade (2), Maycee Barber (1), Amanda Lemos (1)

A refresher on the ground rules:

Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? Make your voice heard in the comments below.