Latest news with #ZhangWeili
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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. Advertisement 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." Advertisement 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." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC champ Valentina Shevchenko willing to fight Zhang Weili next
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.
South China Morning Post
22-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Chinese MMA star Zhang Weili keen to wow home crowd at first mainland post-Covid UFC event
Chinese mixed martial arts superstar Zhang Weili said on Thursday she would relish fighting on home turf again after Ultimate Fighting Championship announced its first event in mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic. Zhang, the first Chinese fighter to win a UFC title and the current strawweight champion, is the face of MMA on the mainland, where millions of dollars have been poured into the sport's top promotion. The UFC said on Thursday that back-to-back events would be taking place over one weekend, with Shanghai Fight Night taking place on August 23 and the semi-final of the Road to UFC Season 4 the day before. 'Competing on home soil feels completely different,' Zhang said, adding she was 'really looking forward' to fighting in Shanghai. '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 has not confirmed the line-up for the Shanghai event, but Zhang would be a huge omission in a country where she is a household name.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
UFC 312 'Fight Motion': Blood spills in Sydney in super slo-mo
With two title fights atop the card, there was plenty of anticipation for UFC 312 and the promotion's return to Australia this past Saturday. And while many expected two close bouts with those belts on the line, they wound up being showcases for middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and women's strawweight champ Zhang Weili more than anything else. The titleholders put on vintage performances "Down Under." But before they did, there were some big moments in Sydney that the UFC 312 "Fight Motion" video cameras caught. You can check out the bloody highlights above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 312. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 312 'Fight Motion': Blood spills in Sydney in super slo-mo
USA Today
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
UFC 312 'Fight Motion': Blood spills in Sydney in super slo-mo
With two title fights atop the card, there was plenty of anticipation for UFC 312 and the promotion's return to Australia this past Saturday. And while many expected two close bouts with those belts on the line, they wound up being showcases for middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis and women's strawweight champ Zhang Weili more than anything else. The titleholders put on vintage performances 'Down Under.' But before they did, there were some big moments in Sydney that the UFC 312 'Fight Motion' video cameras caught. You can check out the bloody highlights above. For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC 312.
