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Valentina Shevchenko ties UFC record, halts Weili Zhang's double-champ bid at UFC 322

Originally posted on MMA on SI  |  By Drew Beaupre  |  Last updated Nov 16, 2025 12:11 AM ET
(Zuffa LLC)

Valentina Shevchenko and Weili Zhang met in one of the biggest women's fights in MMA history at UFC 322.

Headlined by another massive title fight featuring Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, UFC 322's co-main event saw Zhang move up from the strawweight division to challenge Shevchenko for the women's flyweight belt.

The fight unfortunately wasn't as action-packed as fans were hoping for, but Shevchenko did put on a dominant performance to defend her belt and stifle Zhang's bid for a second title.

Valentina Shevchenko Shuts Out Weili Zhang At UFC 322

A two-time strawweight titleholder, Zhang came into UFC 322 as a small underdog after successfully defending the 115 lbs. belt three times during her second reign as champion.

Shevchenko also came into the night following a successful title defense against Manon Fiorot, which kicked off her second stint with the flyweight belt following her trilogy with Alexa Grasso and a staggering seven consecutive title defenses during her first championship run.

The two women had a tough act to follow after the UFC 322 main card opened with three-straight finishes, and they spent the opening two minutes striking before Shevchenko found herself in top position following a clinch exchange.

It didn't take long for the challenger to work back to her feet, but after initiating another cage clinch Zhang ended up on her back again for the rest of the round. "Magnum" was taken down again early in the second round, and Shevchenko was happy to maintain top position to take a clear lead in the fight.

The third round saw the two women exchange on the feet for a longer period before Shevchenko hit another takedown with under two minutes to go, and it was clear Zhang would need a finish as things moved into the championship rounds.

The challenger continued to struggle with closing the distance before Shevchenko sealed the fourth round with another late takedown. That trend continued on in the final frame, leaving "Bullet" to get her hand raised via dominant unanimous decision after 25 minutes.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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