UFC women’s strawweight contender Denise Gomes hopes to get the next title shot against UFC women’s strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern.
There have been rumors that Gomes will be next in line to face Dern in early 2027, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
That being said, Gomes has made it clear that she wants the title shot.
Gomes has won her last five fights in a row, including a brutal KO over Yan Xiaonan at UFC Shanghai that she believes should earn her the next crack at 115 lbs gold.
Denise Gomes Wants Title Shot Against Mackenzie Dern
Speaking to MMAFighting.com, Gomes made it clear that she wants Dern next.
“I’m ready. I’ve already proven it, I’ve already shown it. There’s a lot more where that came from. Start with what I did in my last fight. None of the girls at the top have done what I did. That says a lot about me already. What do the fans want to see? What do the people on the other side of the screen, who take time out of their day to sit in the stands and watch, want to see? What I’ve been delivering: violence and intelligence. That alone is a huge reason. I deserve it,” Gomes said.
New Blood Should Take Over the Division
In Gomes’s opinion, it’s time that the UFC women’s strawweight division gets some new blood fighting for the belt.
She doesn’t think that former champ Zhang Weili should get the next title shot against Dern, and she doesn’t think Tatiana Suarez deserves it, either.
Based on the rumors, it does look like the UFC is heavily considering giving Gomes what she wants. But either way, Gomes has made her pitch, suggesting that she is the best option for the title shot against Dern right now because it’s a brand-new matchup for the weight class.
“The other girls haven’t been delivering that. Mackenzie and Zhang haven’t been delivering that in their recent fights either. They always put on great fights, but not what I’ve been delivering. This division needs an upgrade. Whether Zhang comes back or not, to be completely honest, I deserve a title shot. I want to fight, and I want to fight Zhang because, to me, she’s one of the best. She still is. I want to fight the best. It would be an honor for me. I’m not taking anything away from Mackenzie. She’s there, she’s already fought for and defended the belt, but if I beat her, I want to fight Zhang. I want to fight all the other girls too,” Gomes said.
“We need to shake things up at the top of this division and bring more knockouts. That’s how we generate a lot more excitement in our rankings. I’ll never disrespect any of the girls, they’re all tough as hell, but I deserve this opportunity. They’re making things happen in their own way, but nobody wants to see nothing but grappling and jiu-jitsu. I bring a lot more than that.”
Denise Gomes Hoping for UFC Title Shot Against Mackenzie Dern