UFC Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko is targeting a possible fight with Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili.
Shevchenko secured her eighth successful flyweight title defense at UFC 315, where she outpointed Manon Fiorot. The win followed up on her victory against Alexa Grasso at UFC 306, where she reclaimed the flyweight belt. At 37, Valentina has no plans to retire anytime soon.
Shevchenko is being linked with a clash against Zhang, who successfully defended her 115-pound belt at UFC 312 with a win over Tatiana Suarez, marking her third straight defense since reclaiming the title. Zhang hasn’t lost since 2021, setting the narrative for a mega fight.
“Flyweight right now is the most exciting weight class – so many good and talented fighters. 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. Weili has the same passion for martial arts (as me) and has this mindset of ‘no matter what happens’ – not fame or whatever. 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,” Shevchenko said