Latest news with #Weili
USA Today
4 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
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
11-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Valentina Shevchenko non-committal on potential UFC champ-champ fight vs. Zhang Weili
MONTREAL – Valentina Shevchenko is not saying no, but not saying yes either, to a potential champion vs. champion super fight against Zhang Weili. Following a successful title defense Saturday at UFC 315, Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) was non-committal to the highly requested bout against Weili, who holds the UFC women's strawweight belt. Shevchenko is open to the fight, but sees other viable options, and also doesn't want to make any hasty decision, wanting to think things over for her next career step. "It's kind of for me after the fight you get the victory, the belt is with you, and you still have adrenaline running and everything like that, (so) to answer the exact question, I would prefer to take it with one of two days when I will rest," Shevchenko said at the UFC 315 post-fight press conference. "I don't say about the timing because it's very important to have proper recovery and go to the next training camp with full power. It's mostly about (timing)." Shevchenko defended her women's flyweight title against Manon Fiorot in the co-main event of UFC 315 – which took place at at Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. It was her first title defense of her second championship reign, and her 10th overall UFC championship win. "Bullet" said that she was asked a lot about Natalia Silva, who defeated former champion Alexa Grasso that same night, along with the potential fight with Weili. That's a fight she'd consider and would like to hear the fans' input on their preference. "Before coming to (the press conference), everyone was saying Weili or Natalia for No. 1 contender," Shevchenko said. "Maybe fans can play some role in that and if they can join my OnlyFans page and drop some messages on who they want to see me fight next. I think we'll compare and see who's next." Shevchenko is considered the greatest UFC women's flyweight champion in history, and one of the all-time greats in women's MMA. Although 37 and now with 30 professional fights, Shevchenko has no plans in retiring anytime soon, and assures she's here for a while longer. "I still keep going," Shevchenko said. "I'm not stopping. It's just the beginning." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Valentina Shevchenko non-committal on potential fight vs. Zhang Weili
USA Today
11-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Valentina Shevchenko non-committal on potential UFC champ-champ fight vs. Zhang Weili
Valentina Shevchenko non-committal on potential UFC champ-champ fight vs. Zhang Weili MONTREAL – Valentina Shevchenko is not saying no, but not saying yes either, to a potential champion vs. champion super fight against Zhang Weili. Following a successful title defense Saturday at UFC 315, Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) was non-committal to the highly requested bout against Weili, who holds the UFC women's strawweight belt. Shevchenko is open to the fight, but sees other viable options, and also doesn't want to make any hasty decision, wanting to think things over for her next career step. "It's kind of for me after the fight you get the victory, the belt is with you, and you still have adrenaline running and everything like that, (so) to answer the exact question, I would prefer to take it with one of two days when I will rest," Shevchenko said at the UFC 315 post-fight press conference. "I don't say about the timing because it's very important to have proper recovery and go to the next training camp with full power. It's mostly about (timing)." Shevchenko defended her women's flyweight title against Manon Fiorot in the co-main event of UFC 315 – which took place at at Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. It was her first title defense of her second championship reign, and her 10th overall UFC championship win. "Bullet" said that she was asked a lot about Natalia Silva, who defeated former champion Alexa Grasso that same night, along with the potential fight with Weili. That's a fight she'd consider and would like to hear the fans' input on their preference. "Before coming to (the press conference), everyone was saying Weili or Natalia for No. 1 contender," Shevchenko said. "Maybe fans can play some role in that and if they can join my OnlyFans page and drop some messages on who they want to see me fight next. I think we'll compare and see who's next." Shevchenko is considered the greatest UFC women's flyweight champion in history, and one of the all-time greats in women's MMA. Although 37 and now with 30 professional fights, Shevchenko has no plans in retiring anytime soon, and assures she's here for a while longer. "I still keep going," Shevchenko said. "I'm not stopping. It's just the beginning."
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Erin Blanchfield: UFC champ Zhang Weili's success wouldn't translate to flyweight
Erin Blanchfield: UFC champ Zhang Weili's success wouldn't translate to flyweight Erin Blanchfield doesn't see UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili replicating her success at flyweight. Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) is interested in a potential superfight with flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (24-4-1 MMA, 13-3-1 UFC), who makes her next title defense against Manon Fiorot in the UFC 315 co-main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) May 10 in Montreal. However, top flyweight contender Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) doesn't think Weili has the size to reign supreme in the weight class above. "She's really tough, so I could see her winning some kind of like how Rose (Namajunas) was able to win some moving up, but I think she's really tiny," Blanchfield said in an interview with Home of Fight. "I've seen her in person. She's very short, especially for 125. I don't think she would be a champ at 125." Blanchfield will look to emerge into title contention when she takes on Maycee Barber (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) in the UFC on ESPN 68 headliner May 31 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. She likes how she matches up with Weili should she move up to flyweight. "I would see myself finishing her," Blanchfield said of Weili. "I feel like it'd be similar to (Jessica) Andrade. I feel like they'd have that same build, and they're both aggressive. So I could see myself finishing her."
