Valentina Shevchenko showed that weight classes matter in her long-awaited superfight against Zhang Weili.
Shevchenko dominated Zhang to retain the women's flyweight title, earning a unanimous decision victory in the UFC 322 co-main event Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York.
All three judges scored the fight 50-45 in Shevchenko's favor.
Zhang, a former two-time strawweight champion, moved up to flyweight for the first time in her UFC career but was unsuccessful in her bid to capture a second title.
Shevchenko and Zhang were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on the women's pound-for-pound list, respectively, coming in.
Shevchenko's physical advantages were paramount in the fight, as she used her size to pick Zhang apart in the stand-up department and control her on the ground for long stretches. The defending champion outlanded Zhang 137-80 in total strikes, completed five of six takedowns, and compiled 13:24 of control time.
Shevchenko, one of the greatest women's fighters of all time, is now riding a four-fight unbeaten streak. The 37-year-old has defended the 125-pound title twice since recapturing the throne against Alexa Grasso in September 2024.
Zhang's five-fight winning streak came to an end. The 36-year-old hadn't lost since a split-decision defeat in a rematch with Rose Namajunas in November 2021.
Zhang vacated the strawweight title earlier this year to move up in weight and challenge Shevchenko. Mackenzie Dern claimed the vacant belt with a win over Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321 in October. Zhang didn't say afterward whether she plans to return to 115 pounds.
