TLDR
- Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight title against Zhang Weili at UFC 322 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York
- The fight pairs the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound female fighters, with Shevchenko holding eight UFC title defenses and Zhang having four defenses across two strawweight title reigns
- Zhang aims to become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history by moving up from strawweight to flyweight
- Shevchenko has a UFC women’s record of eight flyweight title defenses and could tie Amanda Nunes’ record of 10 total title wins with a victory
- The bout is listed as a pick ’em by oddsmakers, reflecting how evenly matched both fighters are
Shevchenko vs Zhang: Two Elite Champions Collide at UFC 322
Valentina Shevchenko will defend her flyweight championship against Zhang Weili in the co-main event of UFC 322 on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York. The matchup features the two top-ranked pound-for-pound female fighters in the sport.
Shevchenko, 37, brings a record of 25-4-1 into the bout and currently holds the UFC women’s record with eight flyweight title defenses. The champion has competed at 125 pounds across two separate title reigns. She regained the belt in 2024 after losing it via submission to Alexa Grasso in 2023, then fighting to a draw in their rematch before winning the trilogy bout.
Only 2 days until #UFC322 and one of the biggest women’s fights ever — but first, it’s press conference day! 🎤🔥
Tune in TONIGHT at 5PM ET on the UFC YouTube channel as 🇰🇬 Valentina Shevchenko and 🇨🇳 Zhang Weili take questions from the media… and then face off once again… pic.twitter.com/zjz79cFpPq
— Women's MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) November 13, 2025
Zhang, 36, enters with a 26-3 record and holds the distinction of being the first Chinese-born UFC champion. She has dominated the strawweight division with four title defenses across two separate reigns. The challenger is 10-0 against everyone except Rose Namajunas, who defeated her twice in 2021.
The fight offers Zhang the opportunity to become just the 11th two-division champion in UFC history. She has defeated former strawweight champions Jessica Andrade, Joanna Jedrzejczyk twice, and Carla Esparza. Many consider her the greatest fighter in the 115-pound division’s history.
Shevchenko’s background includes time at bantamweight, where she nearly captured the title in a split decision loss to Amanda Nunes in 2017. She owns victories over former champions Holly Holm and Julianna Pena at that weight. The Kyrgyzstan-born fighter is a 17-time muay thai champion with over 30 years of training under coach Pavel Fedotov.
Training Camps and Preparation
Zhang brought in former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo after her first loss to Namajunas to improve her wrestling. For this fight, she trained in Thailand under former UFC lightweight contender Brad Riddell. Fedotov acknowledges Zhang has become a skilled wrestler and grappler in recent years.
Shevchenko trained at Zen Martial Arts in El Paso, Texas, with assistant coach Armando Rosales. Rosales described both fighters as pure martial artists who represent the sport well. The training focused on leveraging Shevchenko’s experience advantage in grappling and striking.
🗓️ 2 Days ’til #UFC322
Countdown continues — one fight, one fact each day leading up to fight night at MSG 🗽
💥 Fight #2: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili
⚡ Fun Fact: This is the first time in UFC history that two women who’ve held titles in different divisions will face… pic.twitter.com/VNXuzCHky0
— TheCageJunkie (@TheCageJunkie) November 13, 2025
Stakes and Records
A victory would give Shevchenko her ninth flyweight title defense and tie her with Nunes for the UFC women’s record of 10 total title wins. She has expressed interest in moving back to bantamweight to challenge current champion Kayla Harrison at a potential UFC White House event in June.
The bout gives Shevchenko a chance to earn a defining victory over another elite champion. She has already defeated former strawweight champions Jedrzejczyk and Andrade at flyweight. This win would settle the debate about who deserves the top pound-for-pound ranking.
Fight Outlook
Oddsmakers have listed the fight as a pick ’em throughout the promotion, reflecting the even matchup. Both fighters are future Hall of Famers with a combined four UFC title reigns and 12 total defenses. Shevchenko emphasized her mindset of constantly evolving and maintaining focus to stay at the top.
Zhang described the fight as meant to be and called it a passing of the torch. She views the challenge as another way to push past her own limits. The headliner features Islam Makhachev moving up to welterweight to challenge champion Jack Della Maddalena.
