Zhang Weili has cemented herself as one of many biggest champions in UFC historical past, so it’s solely becoming {that a} fellow legend might be subsequent.
The strawweight queen delivered an emphatic title protection within the co-main occasion of UFC 312 as she out-struck, out-grappled, and outworked Tatiana Suarez en path to a unanimous choice win. That is the third straight profitable title protection for Zhang in her second run with the belt and her fourth protection total. She can also be the primary girl to defeat Suarez, who was 10-0 heading into Saturday.
Within the lead-up to the bout, Zhang talked about the potential for combating flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko subsequent and she or he was requested about that matchup on the night’s post-fight press convention.
“Let’s speak with Dana later, however I feel every thing is about timing,” Zhang mentioned of combating Shevchenko. “So if there’s a good time for each of us to make this combat occur, it occurs.”
Zhang was additionally straight-up requested if she felt she was the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on this planet or if Shevchenko nonetheless deserved that honor. Shevchenko just lately reclaimed the flyweight belt with a lopsided choice win over Alexa Grasso of their trilogy-concluding combat at UFC 306.
Sadly for anybody hoping for a spicy response, Zhang saved a stage head.
“To be sincere, I don’t actually care who’s pound-for-pound No. 1 or No. 2.,” Zhang mentioned. “It doesn’t actually matter. What I care about is how can I simply make myself higher.”
Zhang has nearly cleaned out the 115-pound division, having defeated everybody she’s shared the octagon with not named Rose Namajunas (and Namajunas isn’t an element in the mean time as she at present competes at 125 kilos. She has a worthy challenger in Brazilian veteran Virna Jandiroba, however Jandiroba has to get previous Yan Xiaonan at UFC 314 this April earlier than signing on for a title combat.
In reality, it doesn’t sound as if Zhang cares who she fights subsequent.
“I feel the largest opponent to me is myself, so [even] if I keep in strawweight, if I combat completely different types of opponent, I can nonetheless study lots from that,” Zhang mentioned. “Ultimately, to enhance myself, that’s my final aim.
“I see all my opponents as my lecturers. I’ll study from them and simply make myself higher and higher.”
UFC CEO Dana White was additionally requested in regards to the potential Zhang vs. Shevchenko combat. With reference to who’s pound-for-pound No. 1, White mentioned, “Perhaps we’ll simply have to seek out out,” and later mentioned the matchup is “a risk” when requested if that’s what the UFC plans to do subsequent.
Watch White’s post-event media scrum beneath.
