Zhang Weili would love to test her skills against flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Currently in her second reign as UFC strawweight champion, Zhang is not only the best in the world right now at 115 pounds, she is also currently No. 3 in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings. Shevchenko is currently two spots behind her, with eight consecutive championship fight victories.
Shevchenko is a top-ranked fighter in Zhang’s division. And she’s sure that it would be a crowd-pleaser as well.
“Yes. “It’s a must for certain,” Zhang stated with the assistance of a translator on The MMA Hour when she was asked if Shevchenko would be interested. “No question.”
” I thought of this a few years ago,” she said. We will eventually meet in the Octagon because our weight divisions are so similar.
“I don’t know for sure if I’ll take the belt away from her, but one thing I can guarantee is it’s going to be a banger if me and the champ get in the octagon. No matter what the outcome .”
, it will be an amazing performance.
Zhang hasn’t quite cleared out the strawweight division — a two-fight series with Rose Namajunas is currently 2-0 in Namajunas’ favor — but her dominant win at UFC 281 to reclaim the UFC title has only increased interest in a potential superfight between Zhang and Shevchenko.
Should Zhang continue to defend her title, at some point she may have no choice but to move to flyweight to pursue fresh opportunities. If it happens, Zhang’s goal will not be to just compete but to become a contender.
“Maybe,” Zhang said. “Maybe see what the UFC says and then it’s up in the air. I hope I fight at 125 pounds. I want to put on a great performance at 125, I don’t to want to go in just to be at 125.”
A Zhang-Shevchenko matchup would be sure to draw big numbers for the UFC and likely satisfy fans wondering just who is the best between two of the most dominant women ever to compete inside the octagon.
Zhang is looking forward to seeing how she compares against someone who she has considered almost untouchable over the last four years.
“Also, because she’s such a great martial artist, I’m willing to step into the octagon with her to learn from her, to share the female fighting spirit in there because she’s one of the best in the world,” Zhang said. My opponent adapts to me. My opponent is still myself. It’s not the person I’m facing, but rather the person I am.”
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2022/12/5/23495034/zhang-weili-anticipates-future-fight-with-valentina-shevchenko-guarantees-it-will-be-a-banger?rand=96749
