Valentina Shevchenko believes a superfight with Zhang Weili could be on the horizon.
Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) notched the first successful defense of her second flyweight title reign three weeks ago, earning a unanimous decision win over Manon Fiorot in the co-main event at UFC 315 in Montreal.
Last Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 68 headliner between Maycee Barber and Erin Blanchfield had the potential to clarify the title picture at 125 pounds. However, Barber’s last-minute withdrawal left the division’s immediate future uncertain.
With no clear-cut challenger emerging among the current flyweight contenders, “Bullet” believes now might be the perfect time for strawweight champion Zhang Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) to move up in weight and vie for a second belt.
"Flyweight right now is the most exciting weight class – so many good and talented fighters," Shevchenko said on the post-fight show after the UFC on ESPN 68 broadcast. "But from the other side, you can see the champion. She built up her career. She deserves so much because of her title defenses. I feel at this point, she deserves this fight. Everyone deserves it."
Since her loss to Rose Namajunas in 2021, Zhang Weili has been on a tear. The reigning strawweight champion has racked up five straight victories, including a title-clinching submission win over Carla Esparza at UFC 281. She’s since defended her belt three times, further cementing her dominance at 115 pounds.
Her most recent performance came at UFC 312 in February, where she handed Tatiana Suarez the first loss of her career with a commanding unanimous decision.
Given Zhang’s dominance in the strawweight division, Valentina Shevchenko believes a champion-vs.-champion showdown is exactly the kind of high-stakes matchup that would excite UFC fans around the world.
"Weili has the same passion for martial arts (as me) and has this mindset of 'no matter what happens' – not fame or whatever," Shevchenko said. "She's very loyal and feels good about mixed martial arts. This is what I like about her. It's the same as I am, the feeling for martial arts itself. I'm hearing from my fans this is what they want to see."
