The opponent's coach of Valentina Shevchenko called the Kyrgyzstani the best in the world

John Wood, coach of Weili Zhang, the former UFC champion in the strawweight division, noted that he did not expect such a defeat in the fight against Valentina Shevchenko. This was reported by the portal allboxing.ru.

The fight between Shevchenko and Zhang took place in November 2025, and none of the judges awarded the Chinese fighter a single round, leading to a unanimous victory for Shevchenko with a score of 50-45.

“Valentina is undoubtedly the best female fighter on the planet. She confirmed that on that night. What she does, no one else can do. She takes rounds, scores points, takes her opponents to the ground, and holds them there, ensuring her victory. Her patience, excellent timing, and willingness to do whatever it takes to win the fight are impressive,” Wood said in an interview with MMA Fighting.

According to the coach, Weili Zhang is now considering a return to the strawweight division to try to reclaim the title from Mackenzie Dern, who became champion during her absence.