UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko is all able to go all-in on a conflict with fellow titleholder Zhang Weili, however ‘Bullet’ has some questions on how the bout will go down.
Following her dominant exhibiting in opposition to Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 in Montreal, Shevchenko is primed to place her belt on the road in opposition to Zhang in some of the anticipated feminine fights in Octagon historical past. The likeliest situation will see ‘Magnum’ transfer up from her put up because the reigning strawweight world champion to problem Shevchenko for her flyweight title.
However will Zhang must vacate her 115-pound belt first, or will she have the possibility to change into simply the fifth fighter in UFC historical past to acquire champ-champ standing?
That, we nonetheless don’t know, and neither does Shevchenko.
“Zhang Weili is a tremendous fighter,” Shevchenko stated on The Ariel Helwani Present. “By way of her title defenses, shedding the belt, getting it again, and persevering with to grow-she will get higher with each single struggle. Positively, individuals would like to see that struggle.
“So far as I do know, earlier than, individuals may maintain their belt and transfer as much as change into a double champ. However apparently, it’s not occurring anymore. No extra double champ, simply champ versus champ, however not two belts on the road. That is very new for me, and I actually don’t know the way it works or the way it’s arrange.”
Are the times of Champ-Champs over within the UFC?
Whereas there has by no means been a state of affairs the place two titles had been on the road in the identical struggle, except for when an interim champion is making an attempt to unify their belt with a division’s established titleholder, the UFC has seen loads of conditions the place a champion has moved up or right down to try to add one other belt to their resume.
Nonetheless, latest rumors counsel that fighters shifting to a different division whereas retaining the title they already maintain is not a factor, therefore why each Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev vacated their respective belts in pursuit of one other division’s high prize.
Whether or not or not that rule applies to Zhang Weili stays to be seen.
