Shevchenko V Weili - How To Make A Ufc Super-fight

Valentina Shevchenko versus Zhang Weili pits 2 of nan champion female fighters connected nan satellite against each different at UFC 322 connected Saturday successful New York.

Shevchenko, who has been queen of nan UFC's flyweight section for nan champion portion of 7 years, is looking to fortify her declare to beryllium nan champion women's mixed martial creator of each time.

Weili, meanwhile, is hoping to embark connected a caller section successful her distinguished profession aft vacating her strawweight title to move up a division.

Kyrgyzstan's Shevchenko sits atop nan UFC's pound-for-pound rankings, pinch China's Weili astatine number two.

What makes this a super-fight and really will 2 of nan champion fighters of this procreation lucifer up?

This is simply a cross-divisional gathering betwixt 2 all-time greats still rubbing their prime.

When UFC president Dana White confirmed nan bout, he described it arsenic "literally nan meaning of a super-fight".

Shevchenko is 1 of nan astir successful athletes successful UFC history, pinch her 10 wins successful title fights putting nan 37-year-old 2nd connected nan women's all-time list.

A triumph complete Weili, 36, would move Shevchenko associated first alongside nan female pinch nan astir UFC title conflict wins - Amanda Nunes.

If it were not for Brazil's Nunes, who defeated Shevchenko successful 2016 and 2017 astatine bantamweight, she mightiness already beryllium regarded arsenic nan champion women's combatant successful UFC history.

After defeating France's Manon Fiorot successful May, Shevchenko praised Weili, floating nan thought of a conflict betwixt nan pair.

"Zhang has nan aforesaid passion for martial arts arsenic me, nan aforesaid mindset. It's not astir fame - this is what I for illustration astir her," said Shevchenko.

"I'm proceeding from fans this is nan conflict they want to see."

Perhaps Shevchenko looked extracurricular nan flyweight section because she has continuously sewage nan amended of foes wrong it.

Her only blip since becoming champion successful 2018 is simply a conclusion by Alexa Grasso successful 2023, but aft a tie successful nan rematch she regained her title successful nan trilogy conflict past September.

Remarkably, Shevchenko has featured successful 12 of nan 13 UFC women's flyweight title bouts, winning 10, drafting 1 and losing one.

If Weili thumps Shevchenko, she will go only nan 2nd female to go a two-division UFC champion aft Nunes, but nan first to do it astatine strawweight and flyweight.

Weili is simply a two-time strawweight champion and vacated her loop aft making nan 3rd defence of her 2nd reign against Tatiana Suarez successful February.

Many respect Weili arsenic nan champion strawweight successful UFC history, but she faces stiff title from Poland's Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

They are tied for first connected wins successful UFC title fights astatine nan weight pinch six apiece, but Weili's 2 victories complete Jedrzejczyk, successful 2020 and 2022, whitethorn springiness her nan edge.

When it comes to really nan conflict mightiness play retired successful nan octagon, nan brace are evenly matched.

Schevchenko is an elite counter-striker, while Weili leans heavy connected her spot and aggression.

Both Shevchenko astatine flyweight and Weili astatine strawweight are among nan grounds holders erstwhile it comes to grappling and striking stats successful their divisions.

Shevchenko has nan second-highest important onslaught accuracy successful UFC history astatine flyweight pinch 54.6%, while Weili is 4th astatine strawweight pinch 53.9%.

Shevchenko besides has nan champion striking defence successful flyweight history, having only absorbed 1.86 strikes per minute.

Weili is 10th connected nan all-time strawweight list, pinch 2.77 strikes per minute.

The Chinese combatant leads Shevchenko erstwhile it comes to striking differential, with Weili 2nd connected nan all-time strawweight database astatine 2.38 and Shevchenko seventh astatine flyweight pinch 1.48.

To beryllium among nan all-time stat leaders successful striking and grappling is simply a reflection of a world-class jock and this applies to some Shevchenko and Weili.

Shevchenko has nan second-highest takedown accuracy successful flyweight history astatine 62.8%, pinch Weili eighth astatine strawweight pinch 45.6%.

There is small to abstracted nan brace erstwhile it comes to grappling, pinch Shevchenko's apical position percent of 30.6 conscionable pipping Weili's 29.8.

Their takedown defence is arsenic as impressive, pinch Shevchenko 5th among nan flyweight grounds holders astatine 77.4% and Weili conscionable extracurricular nan apical 10 astatine strawweight pinch 74%.

A defining facet whitethorn beryllium really good Weili adapts to nan 10-pound weight jump from strawweight to flyweight.

Will she person nan aforesaid powerfulness astatine 125lb (8st 13lb)? Will her beingness spot construe against a earthy flyweight?

Oddsmakers person Weili arsenic a razor-thin favourite to win, but it would not beryllium a astonishment if Shevchenko comes retired connected top.