Weili Zhang destroyed Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event of UFC 312, but now she faces a tough decision.
UFC President told the media Weili and her team were waiting for him after the UFC 312 post-event presser, and he knew what they wanted. He said he was likely to give it to her, but it seemed there was a “but.”
The Chinese icon would love to move up to flyweight to challenge future Hall of Famer Valentina Shevchenko in a true super fight, but according to Weili, the UFC has told her that if she moves up to flyweight, they want her to stay there and not attempt to move back down to strawweight.
Weili discussed this in a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show.
If you take a look at this complex issue, everyone involved has a point. Weili’s desire to chase greatness and also rid herself of the weight cut to 115 pounds is understandable.
If Weili could successfully move up to 125 pounds and defeat Shevchenko, she would become just the second woman in UFC history to become a two-division champion. If the UFC allows her to make the move before vacating the strawweight title, she’d also have a chance to hold both titles simultaneously.
Who wouldn’t want to add that to their résumé?
The UFC is right to safeguard against a champion holding up two weight classes this way. Truthfully, if Weili decides to move up to flyweight, she’ll need to properly condition herself to compete at 125 pounds.
It’s highly unlikely she’d be able to safely move back down to 115 pounds and compete at the same level she has during her current championship run. Weili is too big of a star in her country and too valuable as a presence to encourage her to be anything but the best version of herself.
Weili is beginning to open up with the American public, and her charm is evident to those who couldn’t see it beyond the language barrier.
Shevchenko may be intrigued by the opportunity to fight Weili. However, No. 2 contender Manon Fiorot has been waiting for her opportunity, and she is the most deserving of a title shot.
If the UFC allows Weili to leapfrog her, it would be a shame. Weili-Shevchenko is the most exciting fight, but Shevchenko-Fiorot is the right fight to make.
In the ideal scenario, Weili would take some time to prepare herself to compete at 125 pounds and should face the winner of Shevchenko-Fiorot in the third or fourth quarter of 2025.
We’ll see if that’s how this plays out.
What’s Next for the UFC?
There’s an intriguing Fight Night headed to fans on Saturday from the Apex in Las Vegas. Jared Cannonier will try to remain in the top 10 of the UFC’s middleweight division as he battles the surging but unranked Gregory Rodrigues in the main event of UFC Vegas 104.
The card also features a number of young up-and-comers like Jose Delgado and Elijah Smith. Here is a look at the entire card.
UFC Vegas 102 – Fight Card
- No. 7 – Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues – Middleweight (185 lbs)
- No. 12 – Calvin Kattar vs. Youssef Zalal – Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Ismael Bonfim vs. Nazim Sadykhov – Lightweight (155 lbs)
- Jose Delgado vs. Connor Matthews – Featherweight (145 lbs)
- Edmen Shahbazyan vs. Dylan Budka – Middleweight (185 lbs)
- Rodolfo Vieira vs. Andre Petroski – Middleweight (185 lbs)
- No. 12 – Julia Avila vs. No. 13 – Jacqueline Cavalcanti – Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Vince Morales vs. Elijah Smith – Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Valter Walker vs. No. 15 – Don’Tale Mayes – Heavyweight (265 lbs)
- Rafael Estevam vs. Jesus Aguilar – Flyweight (125 lbs)
- No. 13 – Angela Hill vs. Ketlen Souza – Strawweight (115 lbs)
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Khaos Williams – Welterweight (170 lbs)
- Jared Gordon vs. Mashrabjon Ruziboev – Lightweight (155 lbs)
Be on the lookout for post-event coverage. I have a sneaky suspicion we’re going to see some memorable fights and finishes in Vegas.
