Shevchenko faced former strawweight champion Zhang Weili, who had relinquished her 115-pound title to move up to 125 pounds for a superfight between the UFC’s two top-ranked pound-for-pound female fighters. But despite the high levels of excitement and anticipation around the fight Shevchenko turned the bout into a one-sided domination as she shut down Zhang and bossed the bout from start to finish to earn scores of 50-45 from all three judges.
The Final Verdict: Valentina Shevchenko vs Zhang Weili
Valentina Shevchenko’s size advantage proved significant in title fight victory
The old fighting adage says a good big ‘un always beats a good little ‘un, and Shevchenko proved that true in New York as she used her size advantage to effectively control Zhang on the canvas throughout the contest.
Shevchenko was able to land takedowns on Zhang in every round of the bout, and when she got the former strawweight to the mat, she was simply too big, too strong and too technically sound on the mat for the smaller fighter as she controlled where the fight took place, and shut down “Magnum’s” offense.
The flyweight throne belongs to @BulletValentina 👏 #VeChain #UFC322 pic.twitter.com/ZuglGAWeTr
— UFC (@ufc) November 16, 2025
Valentina Shevchenko is the most complete female fighter in history
While Shevchenko’s size advantage was certainly a significant factor, what can’t be ignored was the fact that, while Zhang brought a brilliant all-round skillset to the Octagon, Shevchenko was just better in every single facet of mixed martial arts.
Shevchenko didn’t just outwrestle Zhang, she comprehensively outstruck her, too. And the one advantage many thought Zhang would bring into the bout – speed – was basically negligible, as Shevchenko showcased her elite speed by consistently beating Zhang to the punch in the stand-up exchanges.
With outstanding striking, brilliant takedown timing and ground control, and a solid submission arsenal, Shevchenko’s all-round MMA skillset stacks up favourably against any female fighter to ever have appeared in the UFC’s Octagon.
What’s next for Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili?
Both women face serious question marks about their respective next moves following their UFC 322 meeting.
For Shevchenko, Natalia Silva offers the likely next challenge at 125 pounds, but the lure of a move back up to 135 pounds to go for bantamweight gold might prove too much to resist for Shevchenko, who might fancy her chances of adding another title to her resumé before calling time on her UFC career.
For Zhang, meanwhile, a move back down to 115 pounds would seemingly make the most sense, unless Shevchenko departs the division and relinquishes the belt. If that happens, Zhang could still be a serious contender for the vacant title, along with the likes of Silva and Manon Fiorot.
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