Sydney, Australia — Following UFC 312 on Saturday (Sunday locally in Sydney), UFC CEO and President Dana White seemed open to finding out once and for all just who the women’s pound-for-pound best is: Weili Zhang, or Valentina Shevchenko.
“Magnum” Zhang earned a one-sided unanimous decision win over Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event of UFC 312, extending her second reign as the promotion’s strawweight champ. Shevchenko is likewise in her own second reign as champion, in her case at flyweight. Both have all but cleared out their respective divisions.
Zhang has four title defenses between her reigns, Shevchenko seven. Both will one day land in the UFC Hall of Fame. Both are among the sport’s biggest stars.
While White has been hesitant to book champ versus champ fights at times, it appears he’s come around to the idea of Zhang vs. Shevchenko. Asked who he picked as the women’s P4P #1, White admitted that “I f*cking hate answering these questions, because I love them both,” before adding that “maybe we’ll just have to find out.”
Asked flat out if he’d book the super-fight, “it’s a possibility” said White.
For Dana White, it seemingly comes down to the fact that Zhang (and presumably Shevchenko as well) has earned it.
“She looked absolutely dominant tonight. She looked great. As far as I know she ‘s healthy and came out of that fight with zero injuries, so yes. The answer is yes,” White said, asked about whether he’d keep Zhang busy in 2025. Noting that the champ and her team were waiting for him in the hallway, he added “We’ll see what she wants. She’s at a point in her career right now and everything she’s accomplished that whatever she has to ask me in the hallway back here, I’m probably going to say yes.”
There’s a very good chance that Valentina Shevchenko is exactly what Weili Zhang is asking for.
