UFC champion Valentina Shevchenko is ready to all-in in a clash with fellow title holder Zhang Weili, but “Bullet” has some questions about how the match goes down.
Following her dominant show with Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 in Montreal, Shevchenko is prepared to place the belt on the belt with Chang in one of the most anticipated women’s fights in octagonal history. In the most likely scenario, “Magnum” rises from her post and rises from her post to challenge Shevchenko to her flyweight title.
But will Chang have to open a 115 pound belt first, or will she have the opportunity to become the fifth fighter in UFC history to gain champion status?
That’s not what we know yet, nor Shevchenko.
“Chang Weli is a great fighter,” Shevchenko said on the Ariel Helwani show. “Through her title defense, she loses her belt, regains it and continues to grow.
“As far as before, people moved to keep their belts and become double champions. But obviously, it’s not happening anymore. It’s just double champions, champions and champions, but there are no two belts on the line. This isn’t very new to me.
Have you ever had a time when you were a champion champion in the UFC?
There was never a situation where the two titles appeared on the line in the same battle, except that the interim champions attempted to integrate the belt with the division’s established title holders, but the UFC saw many situations where the champions moved up and down to try to add another belt to their resume.
However, recent rumors suggest that it is no longer possible for fighters to move to another division while retaining the title they already hold, so why did both Ilia Topria and Islamic Makhachev open their respective belts in pursuit of the highest award in another division?
It has not yet been seen whether the rules apply to Zhang Weili.