Russian UFC fighter Irina Alekseeva told Telecomasia.net in an exclusive interview about the upcoming matchup between champions Valentina Shevchenko and Weili Zhang.
Zhang earlier vacated her strawweight title to move up to the flyweight division for the fight with Shevchenko.
Irina Alekseeva exclusively for Telecom Asia Sport
A very interesting fight. Weili surprised everyone when she decided to move up to face Shevchenko. She sure is a very strong and versatile fighter, but I’ll be rooting for Valentina and I have no doubt she’ll win. I think Valentina will dominate and mix up her game, shifting between striking and grappling. Zhang is no piece of cake, but Shevchenko is physically stronger. I’m sure Weili’s camp will develop special tactics for Valentina, yet I still believe Shevchenko will either choke her out or win by unanimous decision.
The fight will take place at UFC 322 on the night of November 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Shevchenko, 37, holds a record of 25 wins, 4 losses and 1 draw. Zhang, 36, has 26 wins and 3 losses.
