Issue 213
January 2025
E. Spencer Kyte delves into the Chinese champion's legacy and explores how her upcoming UFC 312 bout could shape the history of women's MMA.
Legacy. It’s the word thrown around like a beach ball at a music festival, yet women’s MMA rarely gets the spotlight it deserves in these conversations. Sure, there’s endless chatter about who belongs where in the pantheon of all-time greats’, but how often do we hear the same debates about the women who’ve redefined the game on their side of the gender divide? Fighters like Weili Zhang have shaped the sport in ways that deserve a louder, longer conversation, especially considering how she stacks up against the trailblazers who came before her.
Later this month, Zhang steps back into the Octagon at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, putting her UFC strawweight title on the line against the undefeated wrecking ball, Tatiana Suarez. It’s not just a fight—it’s a chance to rewrite how her legacy looks as we step into 2025 and start sizing up the best of the best on the women’s roster.
THE SETUP
“My name is Zhang Weili. I’m from China. Remember me!”
Understated. To the point. Exactly why everyone loves Zhang. She has already successfully defended the title twice during her second reign and has earned three title defenses in her two reigns combined. The 35-year-old standout is 25-3 overall and 9-2 in the UFC and is one of the Top 3 pound-for-pound fighters in women’s MMA. Spoiler: she isn’t No. 3. Outside of Valentina Shevchenko, no one else is knocking on the door of that top spot. A win over Suarez in Sydney wouldn’t wet the ink of the history books but would be a statement. And let’s be real - China versus the USA is a narrative that always delivers in any sport.
NEXT UP
When Valentina Shevchenko will make the first defense of her second flyweight title reign remains a mystery. It’s almost as if the UFC and Shevchenko herself are waiting to see how the Zhang vs. Suarez clash plays out. Should Zhang emerge victorious at UFC 312, the whispers of a Champ-V-Champ showdown could grow into a roar.
If Zhang gets past Suarez, she’ll boast wins over four of the top five strawweight contenders. Dominance that’s impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, Shevchenko may find herself approaching the twilight of her legendary career. Though she could always test the waters at bantamweight, that division’s title picture is crowded and complicated. Staying at flyweight and welcoming Zhang into the 125-pound mix seems more practical and lucrative. For two champions with such stacked resumes, a clash of their calibers would be a gun show that would cement their legacies in style.
THE PANTHEON
Tiers make more sense than rankings when debating the all-time greats. Greatness isn’t something you can fully capture with a set of numbers. Most would agree that Valentina Shevchenko belongs in the same tier as Amanda Nunes, Cris Cyborg, Ronda Rousey, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk. This elite circle is defined by impact, performance, skills, and outright dominance. Sure, you could slap numbers on them and argue about who’s No. 1, but these five women have set the gold standard in women’s MMA.
So, where does Zhang Weili fit? A trickier question. Before diving into it, let’s pause to highlight some of the other standout names that deserve a nod in this conversation and explore how the tiers might shape up. Because when it comes to defining legacies, context is everything.
TIER 1: THE ELITE
After you add Nunes, Cyborg, Rousey, Shevchenko and Jedrzejczyk, these are the other names to consider.
Megumi Fujii: 'Mega Megu' went 26-3 in her career, with wins over Carla Esparza and Lisa Ellis carrying her to 22-0 before she ever tasted defeat. Her initial loss to Zoila Frausto was debatable, and setbacks against Jessica Aguilar in two of her final three bouts simply signaled her time to pass the torch.
Rose Namajunas: The only woman to defeat Zhang was the first two-time champion in the UFC strawweight division. She handed Zhang her first loss, dethroned Jedrzejczyk, and retained her title in their rematch.
Carla Esparza: She was the best 115-pound fighter before the division was introduced in the UFC. Her second march to the title included wins over Jandiroba, Grasso, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Marina Rodriguez, and Yan Xiaonan.
Jessica Aguilar: When the UFC launched the 115-pound weight class, ‘Jag’ was the World Series of Fighting champion, earning her two wins over Fujii before joining the upstart promotion. Before joining the UFC, she went 14-1 with wins over Esparza and Ellis, Emi Fujino, and Kalindra Faria.
Holly Holm: ‘The Preacher’s Daughter’ authored one of UFC's most thrilling performances when she dethroned Rousey. A permanent fixture in the title picture at both bantamweight and featherweight throughout her UFC run, she’s always been a force to be reckoned with.
Miesha Tate: A Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight titleholder, Tate went 18-5 before losing to Amanda Nunes at UFC 200. She scored a Hail Mary submission win over Holm to win the UFC title.
WHERE DOES ZHANG FALL?
If you add Zhang Weili to that elite group, the tiers beneath take shape. She likely sits ahead of Miesha Tate, Holly Holm, and Jessica Aguilar from a résumé perspective, with her historic status as the UFC’s first Chinese champion giving her an extra layer of prestige. Realistically, at worst, Zhang is in the third tier of all-time greats in women’s MMA and arguably already knocking on the door of the second tier. This is where her fight with Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 gathers serious weight. Beating an undefeated challenger like Suarez, securing her third consecutive title defense (and fourth overall), would be a statement victory. The kind that elevates a career from great to all-time special. And if that clash with Shevchenko materializes it could determine whether Zhang earns a permanent place among the sport’s highest echelon. Because, in MMA, legacy isn’t built - it’s defended.
WHO’S NEXT?
Who are the fighters that could potentially push for inclusion in the upper echelon of competitors in WMMA history as we head into the back half of the 2020s? What current standouts have already compiled strong enough resumes to knock on the door of the talents listed above? Here are some names that are undoubtedly worth watching.
Julianna Peña: 'The Venezuelan Vixen' is the reigning UFC bantamweight champion. She stopped Amanda Nunes to win the title for the first time. If she can embark on a longer reign, the former Ultimate Fighter winner would merit consideration for a place in the upper tiers in WMMA history.
Kayla Harrison: The two-time Olympic gold medalist is 18-1 overall, earning two victories in her 2024 UFC rookie campaign. Adding a UFC title and extended reign to her impressive resume would vault Harrison up the all-time ranks.
Tatiana Suarez: A win over Zhang would move her to 11-0 and create the ‘Chasing Double Champ Status’ potential for Suarez in 2025. Just remember where you heard that first.
Alexa Grasso: Submitting Shevchenko to win the flyweight title is massive, and she is 16-4-1 in her career. Returning to the top of the heap in the 125-pound division would give her a strong case for consideration, especially if she did so while taking out some of the younger, emerging names in the weight class.
Seika Izawa: The best atomweight in the world, she is already 15-0 at 27 years old. It’s not unreasonable to think she has anywhere from five to eight high-quality years left. If the UFC added the 105-pound weight class, Izawa would have a chance to be a massive star and someone worthy of elite-tier consideration.
Dakota Ditcheva: The 26-year-old Brit generated buzz in 2023 and smashed through the PFL flyweight tournament. Now 14-0, with all but one of her wins coming inside the distance, Ditcheva is on the short list of top fighters competing outside the UFC, and her upside seems limitless.
Erin Blanchfield: Though she suffered her first UFC loss in 20224, Blanchfield closed out the year with a quality win over Namajunas. At just 25, she feels primed to be a perennial threat in the flyweight division for years to come.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Zhang Weili’s spot in the WMMA totem pole is poised for a shift. She’s among the sport’s elite, but her story is far from written in full. Edits are given. A win over Suarez could cement her status in the second tier of all-time greats, but the plot twist lies in the potential showdown with Shevchenko. Zhang’s rise reflects how the women’s MMA landscape keeps evolving. Today’s champions fuel tomorrow’s contenders, ensuring the conversation around greatness thrives. And as that story continues to unfold, Zhang’s name isn’t just penciled in; it’s inked into the pages with plenty of room for more.
