Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Strawweight champion Zhang Weili will attempt to make history at UFC 322 this weekend (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) when she collides with long-time Flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko inside the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City.
To pursue her second divisional crown, Zhang vacated her Strawweight title, which she defended three times before moving up in weight. In her absence, Mackenzie Dern captured the vacant belt to become the new 115-pound champion.
But will Zhang return to Strawweight if she loses — or even if she wins? Her answer during UFC 322 media day (watch here) was brief and measured.
“I want to congratulate Mackenzie Dern, the new Strawweight champion, but we’ll see after his fight this Saturday,” Zhang said.
At 36 years old, Zhang has already fought nearly every elite contender at Strawweight — including a dominant win over the once-feared Tatiana Suarez — so a permanent move to Flyweight makes sense as the division offers plenty of fresh matchups.
Well, except for one fighter she has had history with and is currently 0-2 against: Rose Namajunas, and if we know anything, UFC would love to plug “Thug Rose” into any title picture.
For now, though, Zhang’s focus is fully on Shevchenko — a woman who’s only lost once at Flyweight in her storied career — a shocking submission loss to Alexa Grasso (watch highlights).
“All I do every day is eat, sleep, train, and research techniques,” Weili said. “I think my fighting style changes with each match. I’m constantly switching up my techniques, switching up my style. So my advantage is that tactically, I’m constantly showing different things. I think Valentina is very well-rounded, but I also feel I’ve become more well-rounded as well. So whether it’s wrestling, ground game, or striking, I’ll be thoroughly prepared for this fight.”
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