Just a couple of years ago, UFC fans were treated to something truly special when we saw the two best pound for pound fighters face off in a champion versus champion matchup. Alexander Volkanovski took on Islam Makhachev and that first fight felt really special.
Now, we are going to see another P4P #1 versus #2 in a championship super fight on the women’s side. UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili (26-3) is vacating the strawweight title in order to move up to flyweight to challenge the flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko (25-4-1).
It’s the fight that needed to happen and Dana White announced this news tonight on Instagram. The matchup will go down at Madison Square Garden at UFC 322 on November 15th.
UFC 322
Let’s start with Zhang Weili. Weili was rushed to the top of the strawweight division after her first three wins as the UFC looked to capitalize on a potential Chinese champion. Sometimes when fighters are rushed it doesn’t work out, but this one worked out perfectly. Weili blitzed Jessica Andrade in just 42 seconds to become the strawweight champion.
Weili’s first title run was derailed by Rose Namajunas who beat her in back-to-back fights. However, since the two losses to Namajunas, Weili has won five in a row in incredibly dominant fashion. Her latest win came against Tatiana Suarez in a fight where she was the betting underdog.
She didn’t just beat Suarez, she completely dominated her over the course of five rounds. With how dominant she’s been, there’s really nothing left at 115 pounds and now the UFC is having her move up.
Standing across from her in November will be Valentina Shevchenko. The flyweight division feels like it was built for Shevchenko. Shevchenko was sensational at bantamweight with only suffering losses to the greatest of all time, Amanda Nunes. Many, including myself, feeling like she won the second fight against Nunes.
After that loss, the flyweight division was created and Shevchenko moved down. In her second fight at 125, she became the UFC flyweight champion and she went on a historic run. She defended the title seven times before falling to Alexa Grasso.
Shevchenko and Grasso fought two more times after that initial fight with one fight being a draw and Shevchenko completely dominating the third fight. After the three-fight series, the loss to Grasso feels more flukey than anything else.
Shevchenko defended the title last at UFC 315 in May when she faced Manon Fiorot. Like Weili, Shevchenko was an underdog in her latest title defense. Shevchenko proved why she’s the best in the world by beating Fiorot over five rounds.
Now, the two best female fighters in the world will face off in a truly special matchup at the world’s most famous arena.
More about: MMA
