Gomes demands UFC strawweight title shot after five-fight streak: 'I deserve it'

Denise Gomes is making her case for a UFC strawweight title shot against champion Mackenzie Dern, pointing to her knockout of Yan Xiaonan in August as proof she has outpaced every other contender in the division. The Brazilian is 7-2 in the UFC with four knockouts and has won five straight, including two finishes.

“I’m ready. I’ve already proven it, I’ve already shown it. There’s a lot more where that came from,” Gomes said. “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 I’ve been delivering: violence and intelligence. That alone is a huge reason. I deserve it.”

The 26-year-old acknowledged that Tatiana Suarez recently earned a decision win over Virna Jandiroba and called for her own title opportunity, but Gomes believes the finishing rate separates her from the rest of the 115-pound field.

“The other girls haven’t been delivering that,” she said. “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.”

Gomes also made clear that beating Dern would only be a stepping stone. “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.”

Dern claimed the vacant title with a decision over Jandiroba in October 2025 and has since defended it against Gillian Robertson this past August, also via five-round decision. A jiu-jitsu specialist with five submission wins across her 12 octagon victories, Dern presents an obvious stylistic challenge, but Gomes insists she has the grappling ability to handle it.

“I can always see ways to get a knockout, I can always see ways to finish a fight,” Gomes said. “Mackenzie is a perfect matchup for that.”

She also pushed back on any perception that her game is one-dimensional. “I bring a lot more than that. 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.”