The landscape of women’s Mixed Martial Arts was fundamentally reshaped by Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s first legitimate female superstar and a trailblazer whose dominance forced the organization to open its doors to women fighters. Her world-class judo and armbar submissions made her an unstoppable force, creating a new era where female athletes could headline major events and capture the world’s attention. Her influence echoes through every women’s division today, setting the stage for the modern greats who followed.
This legacy will culminate in the upcoming UFC 322 co-main event, where two of the sport’s most accomplished fighters, Valentina Shevchenko and Zhang Weili, are set to clash in a historic flyweight title fight that indicates how far women have advanced in the sport since Rousey’s era.
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Zhang WeiliBrandon Magnus-GettyImages
Zhang Weili’s Favorite Fighter
Just days before UFC 322, Weili told Simon Head from the UFC website her top-three women’s UFC champions of all time, placing Ronda Rousey in the coveted first-place position.
She justified her choice by highlighting Rousey’s foundational role, stating, “First place is Ronda Rousey, because she won the first-ever women’s belt.”
Ronda Rousey Surprises Zhang Weili
Today, before her fight against Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang sat down with UFC media figure Nina Drama, who relayed a surprise video message from Rousey:
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In the video, Rousey addressed Zhang directly, wishing her good luck and saying, “You’re not just out there representing yourself, not just out there representing your country, but you’re representing the women in this sport, and all the women that will come after you.”
Rousey also made sure to make it clear that the result of the fight will not be the deciding factor of her legacy in the sport, but whether or not their fight will showcase their true potential beyond a win-loss record.
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“None of them actually give a sh— whether or not you or Valentina win,” she said candidly. “What they actually care about is that you go out there and you prove to everyone watching and everyone else on that card that you are a main event attraction, and you are the most exciting fight of the whole night.”
Completely starstruck, Zhang told Nina Drama, “Wow, thank you. I feel very warm. Ronda Rousey is my idol, you know? A long time ago, more than ten years ago, when Ronda Rousey first became UFC champion was inspiring for me.”
This heartwarming message from Rousey comes shortly after Zhang’s next opponent, Valentina Shevchenko, defended Joe Rogan from Rousey’s criticism.
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Stage Set for UFC 322
The co-main event at Madison Square Garden will be the start of a new chapter in women’s MMA, pitting two of the most technically skilled champions against one another.
Reigning flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko brings her iconic run and title defense record against Zhang Weili, a two-time strawweight champion looking to make her own history by becoming only the second female two-division champion.
This superfight will be difficult to pick a winner between Shevchenko’s size and technical striking, and Weili’s power and evolving grappling skillset.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the MMA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
