rewrite this content and keep HTML tags
Returning to the flyweight division for the first time in nearly a decade, previous strawweight queen Zhang Weili moves up for the first time in her UFC tenure to challenge for both a second championship, and a special spot in the sport’s history.
Zhang Weili Goes Up in Weight To Vie for Flyweight Throne at UFC 322
Following a pair of exciting title reigns at 115-lb, Zhang Weili will now attempt to conquer a new frontier in the UFC’s highly-competitive women’s flyweight category. Garnering four overall defenses of her strap by taking out the likes of Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Yan Xiaonan and Tatiana Suarez, the Chinese phenom stands as an icon of female combat sports.
Co-headlining one of the biggest events the promotion will be putting on in 2025, “Magnum” will come to blows with European Muay Thai specialist and current 125-lb apex Valentina Shevchenko.Embed from Getty Images
Valentina Shevchenko Standing in Zhang Weili’s Way Saturday at UFC 322
Residing at the top of the company’s women’s pound-for-pound rankings, Valentina Shevchenko is in the midst of a second stint as the flyweight class’s gold standard. While a historic upset loss to Alexa Grasso in 2023 saw her lose her belt after seven consecutive title defenses, the Kyrgyz ended up coming out on top over her nemesis to regain her championship at UFC 306 last year. Now firmly back in the driver’s seat of her division, “Bullet” has logged one successful retention after a hard-fought scrap with French standout Manon Fiorot heading into her anticipated appearance this weekend at Madison Square Garden.
Can Zhang Weili Thrive at Flyweight?
At strawweight, Zhang was considered the most dominant champion the weight class has ever produced. Throughout her rise to the top and subsequent legacy-defining runs as belt-holder, she racked up a sterling divisional record of 10-2 in the UFC, with her only setbacks coming to fellow 115-lb alum Rose Namajunas.
However, while her conquest at strawweight turned her into a bonafide star, many pundits have begun to wonder how Zhang will do at flyweight after a lengthy absence from the division stemming almost ten years. To put it into perspective, the last time she fought at 125-lb came all the way back during her days on the Asian regional circuit in 2016.
Thrilling 25 Minutes (or Less) of Action Expected Between Zhang Weili and Valentina Shevchenko
Fighting just twice in the weight class, she managed to pick up two back-to-back stoppage victories while under the Kunlun Fight banner, the organization that she was a part of for much of her pre-UFC career.
While it remains to be seen how the extra 10 lbs will affect Zhang’s performance, fight fans will surely be treated to quite possibly the most exciting match in the history of women’s mixed martial arts. With eight post-fight bonuses between them, including seven Performance of the Night awards, it is almost certain that their co-main event clash at UFC 322 will entertain in spades, cementing the winner’s legacy as one of the greatest champions the sport has ever witnessed.
For Zhang, the pressure is on more than ever to not just hold a second strap, but also to become the first female UFC title-holder to win two championships, the other being Amanda Nunes.
