UFC 248: Zhang Weili ‘not elite’ and will lose next title fight says Valentina Shevchenko
- Women’s flyweight champion believes Joanna Jedrzejczyk won UFC 248 co-main event
- ‘You definitely see her fighting against me? I don’t think so,’ says Shevchenko
Zhang Weili successfully navigated her first strawweight title defence in a brutal war for the ages on Saturday. But Valentina Shevchenko wasn’t very impressed.
The judges awarded Zhang a split decision at UFC 248 in Las Vegas. The razor close fight could’ve gone either way – and the UFC’s women’s flyweight champ thinks it should’ve been Joanna Jedrzejczyk whose arm was raised.
“I don’t believe [Zhang won],” Shevchenko told TMZ Sports. “I think Joanna was more – her accuracy was more on point, and she had more clear strikes.
“The one thing was [the hematoma on] her head, right? But it was not kind of the result of many punches. It was just one punch in the third round when you can see her head blow up and start to swell. It’s obvious it went this way. It was not [from] getting that kind of pressure, getting that kind of power. It was just one hit.”
“Weili, she’s a good fighter,” Shevchenko said. “I see now, competing in the top level competition, you can tell what she is in reality. She is good. Good fighter, but it’s not enough for the high, elite competition. Definitely, I wish her good luck at first, of course, but I cannot see her defending her title in the next fight.”