Valentina Shevchenko is willing to give fans the fight they want to see.
In February, UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili successfully defended her title for the third time with a victory over Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312. After her win, Zhang expressed interest in moving up a weight class to challenge Shevchenko for the flyweight title. UFC CEO Dana White even suggested this could be next.
However, the UFC announced that Shevchenko will defend her title against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 in May. According to Shevchenko, this was always the plan.
“From my perspective, I knew I was going to defend my belt against Manon,” Shevchenko told Ariel Helwani. “When Weili called me out, I thought there might be a slight change, but when the UFC finalized the fight agreement, it was the same as before.”
“But yes, I think Weili is a great fighter and has shown her success over many years. She has had many good fights, and I congratulate her on her recent victory.”
Fiorot has been the top flyweight contender for almost a year, since her win over Erin Blanchfield at UFC Atlantic City. But after her fight with Fiorot, Shevchenko says she is happy to consider a superfight with Zhang.
“I think it would be an amazing fight,” Shevchenko said. “It would be something fans would love to see. I am focused on my next target, Manon. So, I need to think about that fight first.”
“I think making this fight would be huge for women’s sport, and there are negotiations that need to happen to make it a reality,” Shevchenko added. “That’s what we should focus on moving forward. But for now, my focus is on my fight in Montreal in two months.”
UFC 315 will be held on May 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Belal Muhammad will defend his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena in the main event, and Shevchenko will defend her flyweight belt against Fiorot in the co-main event.
