Zhang Weili to defend strawweight belt vs. Rose Namajunas at UFC 261

Fourteen months after what was regarded as the best fight in women’s MMA history, UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili is finally slated to defend her title, according to a report from ESPN. Her opponent will be none other than former champion Rose Namajunas.

The fight is being targeted for UFC 261 on April 24th. However, there has yet to be an official announcement from the UFC.

Namajunas last fought in July, defeating Jessica Andrade by unanimous decision at UFC 251. Weili’s last fight, of course, was her classic war against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248; the last UFC PPV before COVID-19 paused the world of sport.

UFC 261 will also feature another women’s title fight: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jessica Andrade for the women’s flyweight title.