Zhang Weili: Timing will be key in the making of potential UFC title fight vs. Valentina Shevchenko

If time permits, the MMA world might get tio witness a clash between all-time greats Zhang Weili and Valentina Shevchenko.

Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC), champion of the UFC women’s strawweight division, is interested in going up a weight class and challenging Shevchenko for her flyweight title. However, with both being defending champions, schedules will have to align, making time the biggest hurdle in the making of this superfight.

“Everything is about timing,” Weili told reporters at the UFC 312 post-fight press conference. “If there’s a good time for both of us to make this fight happen, it happens.”

Weili defended her belt Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 312, which took place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Weili won a dominant unanimous decision to retain her title and hand Tatiana Suarez (11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) the first loss of her career.

With that result, the debate of the best female pound-for-pound fighter on the planet today got a lot more complicated, with some giving it to Shevchenko and others to Weili.

“To be honest, I don’t really care who’s pound-for-pound (best) fighter. It doesn’t really matter,” Weili said when asked about the pound-for-pound debate with Shevchenko. “What I care is how can I make myself better.”

As far as her performance, Weili is happy with what she was able to display against Suarez. Not only with her own skill set, but her overall representation of women’s MMA.

“I really appreciate Tatiana in taking this fight and both of us showing hoew good female fighters can be,” Weili said. “Many people said I never fought such a good grappler before, and Tatiana was undefeated, but I don’t really care what others said. I just focused on myself.”