Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili will collide this weekend (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) inside Madison Square Garden in New York City, N.Y., for UFC 322.
Super
fights between champions — sorry Mackenzie Dern, but I’m going to continue recognizing Weili’s greatness for the time being — are a divisive topic. It’s an easy sell to casual fans, but often, at least one division is held up or a worthy contender is sidelined. In this case, everything lines up perfectly for two dominant champions to throw down at a major event in the perfect arena.
We don’t give Shevchenko enough credit for defying Father Time by winning her Alexa Grasso rivalry and turning away Manon Fiorot, the very best contender of this current generation. Weili, meanwhile, has been so absurdly dominant since regaining her title in 2022. She was already great in her first title run, but “Magnum” has improved in all areas significantly to utterly smoke the 115-pound field.
Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
Shevchenko vs. Weili Betting Odds
- Valentina Shevchenko victory: -130
- Valentina Shevchenko via TKO/KO/DQ: +700
- Valentina Shevchenko via submission: +800
- Valentina Shevchenko via decision: +140
- Zhang Weili victory: +110
- Zhang Weili via TKO/KO/DQ: +700
- Zhang Weili via submission: +1000
- Zhang Weili via decision: +200
- Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
How Shevchenko Wins
Shevchenko is a technician of the highest order and a true minimalist. There’s no wasted movement to her approach or unnecessary action. She maintains range meticulously, has her set answers to every attack of her opponent, and is always ready to interrupt their attacks with a well-timed takedown.
At 37 years of age, “Bullet” has been a pro for a remarkable 24 years — you do the math!
This is a really interesting style clash in which there are clear advantages for both women. Weili is going to be the faster athlete and likely more powerful puncher, but her standup style has never been the most disciplined. She’s happy to crash forward with heavy swings, and that’s historically a flaw Shevchenko is keen to take advantage of.
For “Bullet,” success really starts with winning the kicking battle. She cannot get flustered by Weili’s side kicks — hopefully Shevchenko has some answers prepared for that particular weapon — or general quickness. If Shevchenko is the woman establishing her own long range kicks and sticking that hard jab, it will go a long way in dictating exchanges and settling down “Magnum.”
Eventually, the takedown is the goal. Shevchenko has to time her clinch or double leg entries well, but if starting in good position, she can definitely drag Weili down. Historically, Weili has been able to scramble relentlessly and athlete her way back to space, but that’s going to be much more challenging against a former Bantamweight with excellent top control.
Finally … for the love of God, please no Middle School Headlock Throws.
How Weili Wins
Weili is likely the greatest pure athlete in the history of women’s MMA. There have been more powerful fighters (i.e. Amanda Nunes) and better conditioned ones (Joanna Jedrzejczyk), but nobody can top Weili’s combination of speed, power, and cardio. She’s also a tremendously quick learner, as evidenced by her sudden wrestling dominance when takedowns were once something of a weakness.
The key to victory for Weili is much simpler: she has to drop that right hand bomb on Shevchenko’s chin. We’ve seen Shevchenko dropped multiple times in recent years, evidence that age is starting to catch up to her a bit. “Magnum” absolutely has the power to finish the fight, and her speed will go a long way in penetrating her opponent’s expert range control.
What Weili cannot do is over-swing. There’s simply no need to whiff on a wild overhand right and get taken down as a result. Weili has never been much of a jabber, but a few double jab-cross combinations would go a long way in chewing up distance against the Southpaw and finding that right hand shot. Weili should also be taking her right hand to the body to help prevent level changes, an attack which could also open up the option of doubling her right hand.
If Weili is patient at distance, she can compete with Shevchenko at the kicking range and then create the biggest impacts when her right hand does find the mark.
Shevchenko vs. Weili Prediction
There really isn’t an outcome here that would surprise me. Shevchenko is a little worse than she was a few years ago, but Weili is 36 years old as well and coming up a division when physicality has always been her greatest attribute. There are reasons to fade both champions, as well as obvious reasons to believe in their abilities given the last decade of elite success.
Ultimately, I think the strength and top control of Shevchenko will reign supreme. We’ve seen Weili fatigue in wrestling-heavy fights previously, and wrestling a bigger opponent is much more exhausting. This could be the first time Weili is not the stronger fighter in her entire career, which feels like a major hurdle for the Strawweight legend. Shevchenko may need a round to adjust to the speed of Weili, but if her chin survived two Amanda Nunes fights, I’m willing to bet she can endure a couple “Magnum” connections and eventually find the clinch.
