UFC Champion Valentina Shevchenko expresses eagerness for bout against Zhang Weili, yet puzzled by the revised UFC agreement.
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After a crushing victory against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315, Valentina "The Bullet" Shevchenko is eyeing a title defense against Zhang Weili for the women's flyweight championship. But here's the catch - "Magnum" is rumored to be moving up from the strawweight division, and it's unclear whether Zhang will have to relinquish her title first, or get a crack at becoming a double champion.
In a candid chat with Ariel Helwani, Shevchenko expressed her confusion:
"Back in the day, champions could hold onto their belt when switching divisions. But it seems that ain't the case anymore."
Shevchenko added, "There's no such thing as a double champ anymore - it's just champ vs. champ, but without two belts on the line. I gotta admit, I'm a bit bewildered about the setup."
These days, it appears that the tradition of retaining a title when moving to a new division is yesterday's news. That's why Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev have relinquished their belts before gunning for championships in fresh weight classes.
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Bookmakers are keeping a close watch on Shevchenko's decision, with her rumored move potentially shaking up the women's mixed-martial-arts divisions. Given the UFC's current policy on title retention when switching weight classes, Valentina may have to give up her flyweight championship if she wants to challenge for a title in another division.
