Latest news with #UFC312
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Valentina Shevchenko suspects title defense against fellow UFC champ Zhang Weili next
Valentina Shevchenko suspects title defense against fellow UFC champ Zhang Weili next After a closely contested decision win to open her second reign as UFC women's flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko thinks a superfight might be next. Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) outworked challenger Manon Fiorot (12-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) a little more than three weeks ago at UFC 315 in Toronto in the co-main event. She won with a trio of 48-47 scores. It wasn't immediately clear after the win whom her next challenger would be. Saturday, while in Las Vegas, Shevchenko could have gotten a little clarity with the UFC on ESPN 68 main event between Erin Blanchfield and Maycee Barber – until Barber pulled out moments before her walkout, effectively ditching herself from the conversation. Before Shevchenko beat Fiorot, Natalia Silva knocked Alexa Grasso down the ladder. So there is Silva, and there is Blanchfield – but Shevchenko also thinks when the time comes to figure out what's next, the name could be from another division. Shevchenko thinks strawweight champ Zhang Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) has designs on a move up to 125 pounds for a shot at the belt, and that's the fight she thinks is most realistic. "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." After a two-fight run of losses to Rose Namajunas in title fights, Weili has five straight wins. She had one defense in 2023 against Amanda Lemos, one in 2024 against Yan Xiaonan and one earlier this year at UFC 312 against Tatiana Suarez. Virna Jandiroba put herself in position to get a title shot in April with her fifth straight win, and she's one name Shevchenko doesn't have on her resume yet. But the idea of fighting Weili ultimately might be hard to resist – though Shevchenko stressed she'll wait until she's fully recovered from her win over Fiorot and ready to start a camp before she'll fully dive into preparing for anyone. "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."
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 317 adds Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Terrance McKinney to lineup
UFC 317 adds Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Terrance McKinney to lineup Terrance McKinney and Viacheslav Borshchev will meet in a matchup of powerful lightweight strikers at UFC 317. The fight card that highlights UFC's 13th annual International Fight Week on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) will feature McKinney (16-7 MMA, 6-4 UFC) vs. Borshchev (8-5-1 MMA, 3-4-1 UFC) as part of the lineup. Two people with knowledge of the booking verified the news to MMA Junkie after McKinney announced the fight himself on Monday. McKinney, 30, is coming off a two-minute finish of Damir Hadzovic at UFC Fight Night 250 in February. "T-Wrecks" has earned all 16 of his career wins by stoppage, with a remarkable 15 of those coming in the first round. Borshchev, 33, meanwhile, will try to rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Tom Nolan at UFC 312 in February. "Slava" is 1-2-1 in his past four fights overall dating back to November 2023. The latest UFC 317 lineup includes:
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC champ Zhang Weili recalls fighting in China; Virna Jandiroba issues challege
UFC champ Zhang Weili recalls fighting in China; Virna Jandiroba issues challege UFC champion Zhang Weili's fond memories of fighting in China prompted a bold challenge from the top strawweight contender. Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) currently has three title defenses in her second reign as 115-pound champion. While she has created more than her fair share of championship moments, her most special may be the night she first became champion in 2019. At UFC on ESPN+ 15, Weili stopped Jessica Andrade in the first round to win the strawweight title. Winning the title by TKO in the opening round to become the first Chinese champion in UFC history was incredible enough on its own, but what put it over the top for Weili was being able to do it on her home country's soil in Shenzhen, China. "Competing on home soil feels completely different," Weili told AFP in a recent interview. "When you step into the arena with a roaring home crowd behind you, it gives you an incredible boost of energy. So when I won the championship in Shenzhen, the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying." UFC returns to China later this year. On Aug. 28, the promotion will bring a Fight Night event to Shanghai. Typically, Fight Night events do not see title fights on the card, but that has not stopped Virna Jandiroba from issuing a challenge to Weili. "Zhang Weili, I've heard that you want to defend your belt in China," Jandiroba wrote on X. "Let's do this!! I've always wished to visit China." Jandiroba (22-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is the current promotionally ranked No. 1 contender in the strawweight division. She is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, which includes back-to-back wins over former title challengers Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan. Weili was last in action at UFC 312, where she won a unanimous decision over Tatiana Suarez to secure the third defense of her second title reign. Her next fight could be against Jandiroba, or a superfight against flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. No fights have been officially confirmed for the UFC Shanghai event in August.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sean Strickland makes 'hands-down' Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev prediction
Sean Strickland is familiar with both middleweight title-fight headliners at UFC 319. Dricus Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) defends his middleweight title when he takes on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) in the Aug. 16 main event at United Center in Chicago (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). Advertisement Strickland (29-7 MMA, 16-7 UFC) lost to Du Plessis twice in title fights – once by split decision at UFC 297 then in a more definitive decision at UFC 312. He also trained with Chimaev before at Xtreme Couture. With insight on both men, Strickland broke down the title fight. "They can grapple," Strickland said of Chimaev in an interview with Helen Yee. "Someone like me, I've been training these f*ckers for years. I usually could counter-wrestle and grapple them. So, I just don't know if f*cking Dricus can be able to counter-wrestle him. But if he can, I think he wins, hands down. I sparred the f*cking Chechen wh*re. Hands down, I think Dricus wins. It's just going to come down to are you going to be able to stop that and counter-wrestle him? You can. It's not hard." As for what's next for Strickland, the former champion has his sights set on settling his grudge match with ex-UFC welterweight champ Belal Muhammad. He admitted his interest in rematching Israel Adesanya is not high, but would do it if the fight was offered. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 319: Sean Strickland makes 'hands-down' Du Plessis-Chimaev pick
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 319 headliner
Middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis will look to extend his title reign when he takes on undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev preview Du Plessis (23-2 MMA, 9-0 UFC) seeks to defend his middleweight title for the third time. The South African became champion in a split decision over Sean Strickland at UFC 297. He successfully defended against former champ Israel Adesanya, winning by submission in the fourth round at UFC 305. In his most recent outing, Du Plessis won a unanimous decision against Strickland in a title rematch at UFC 312. Advertisement Chimaev (14-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is coming off arguably his most impressive outing to date, a first-round submission finish of former champion Robert Whittaker at UFC 308. The Chechnya-born middleweight has been labeled a future champion since stepping onto the UFC scene, a forecast he supported by finishing his first four opponents and earning bonuses in his first five appearances. Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev odds According to DraftKings, Du Plessis is a +164 underdog to retain his title against unbeaten challenger Chimaev, who's a -198 favorite. How to watch Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319 Where: United Center, Chicago Broadcast/streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view When: Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025 This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev UFC 319 odds
