UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili is targeting glory in another division — and the queen directly above her has given the green light.
Zhang has long outlined a desire to add a second belt to her collection, and "Magnum's" hunger to do so appeared to increase after she recorded yet another successful defense of her 115-pound strap last month.
At UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, the Chinese fan favorite dominated the previously undefeated Tatiana Suarez, marking the third defense of her second rule over the strawweight division.
With limited fresh challenges remaining in her weight class, Zhang pitched a champ vs. champ showdown with flyweight titleholder Valentina Shevchenko in the aftermath of her most recent triumph.
And during an interview with MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, "Bullet" gave her nod of approval for the potentially huge clash.
I’m open to all opportunities," Shevchenko said of a potential battle with Zhang Weili. "She showed a lot of heart in her fights and with all the years that she’s put into her performances, she’s showed that she’s a great fighter. Why not? It’s an amazing fight and I think all the fans are going to be excited to see that.
Shevchenko was speaking while in Montreal to promote her next outing inside the Octagon, which will come eight months on from her return to the top at the expense of Alexa Grasso in their trilogy.
The Kyrgyz star is set to put her gold on the line against Manon Fiorot at UFC 315 on May 10. Should Shevchenko hand the Frenchwoman her first defeat in the promotion, perhaps her attention will next turn to Zhang Weili.