Zhang Weili selected against Amanda Nunes and her UFC 322 opponent for the highest spot.
After establishing herself as an all-time strawweight great within the UFC, Weili has the possibility to attain further greatness at this Saturday’s pay-per-view.
Weili’s title challenge against Valentina Shevchenko will co-headline UFC 322 in Latest York City, setting the stage for Islam Makhachev’s battle with Jack Della Maddalena within the curtain-closer.
Who will win the UFC 322 principal event?
After vacating the strawweight throne, ‘Magnum’ is trying to follow in Amanda Nunes’ footsteps by becoming only the second two-division female champion within the promotion’s history.
That achievement could see Weili rival Nunes and Shevchenko for ‘GWOAT’ status within the UFC. But in response to the Chinese star, that crown belongs to a unique name altogether…
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Zhang Weili names Ronda Rousey the most effective UFC women’s champion over Amanda Nunes and Valentina Shevchenko
Nunes is widely seen because the consensus female GOAT within the UFC, having ruled over each the bantamweight and featherweight divisions before a 2023 retirement which will soon be reversed.
Nonetheless, while chatting with UFC.com ahead of her return at Madison Square Garden on November 15, Weili placed the ‘Lioness’ in second when naming the three best women’s champs of all time.
Ahead of Nunes and likewise Shevchenko in third, ‘Magnum’ — who opted not to place herself in the combo — gave first place to Ronda Rousey.
“I rank Valentina Shevchenko in third place,” she said.
“First place is Ronda Rousey, because she won the first-ever women’s belt. After which second place is Amanda Nunes, because she has belts from two different divisions, and he or she defended her belt 11 times,” she added.
Nunes knocked out Rousey within the American’s final MMA fight nine years ago. Before exiting the game on a two-fight losing skid, the previous judoka had recorded six successful defenses of the UFC bantamweight title, five of which led to the very first round.
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Valentina Shevchenko said Zhang Weili was not ‘elite’ after UFC classic
While Weili still included Shevchenko in her top three, it’s unclear whether the reigning flyweight queen would return the favor.
Years before their upcoming showdown at Madison Square Garden, Shevchenko made a surprising claim about Weili.
After the Chinese star’s memorable five-round classic with Joanna Jedrzejczyk in 2020, ‘Bullet’ raised eyebrows by suggesting the fight proved ‘Magnum’ was not an elite fighter.
“I see now, competing in the highest level competition, you’ll be able to tell what she is in point of fact. She is nice. Good fighter, nevertheless it’s not enough for the high, elite competition,” Shevchenko told TMZ.
“Definitely, I wish her good luck at first, in fact, but I cannot see her defending her title in the following fight,” she added.