Virna Jandiroba, riding a five-fight winning streak, has become the No. 1 ranked strawweight in the UFC and is confident her next fight will be for the title against Zhang Weili, emphasizing her readiness for a five-round battle.
Virna Jandiroba showcased her grappling prowess, outclassing Yan Xiaonan to claim the No. 1 spot in the UFC strawweight rankings. She’s brimming with confidence, eager for her next bout to be for the championship belt.
The former Invicta FC champ is on a roll, boasting a five-fight winning streak post-UFC 314 on April 12. This streak features a submission win over Amanda Lemos and decision victories against Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Lupita Godinez. Naturally, Jandiroba sees a showdown with 115-pound queen Zhang Weili as the next logical step.
“If not now, honestly… There’s nothing left to be done,” Jandiroba expressed to MMA Fighting. “I think [I’m next]. Definitely. It’s the longest winning streak at strawweight, five in a row, so there’s nothing else.”
Zhang, before her latest triumph over Tatiana Suarez, hinted at a potential move to flyweight to challenge Valentina Shevchenko. With Shevchenko set to face Manon Fiorot on May 10, Jandiroba feels her position is solid.
“I’m quite relaxed,” Jandiroba remarked. “It’s a fact that I’m next. There’s nothing else to be done. I even fought one more, I didn’t sit and wait.”
Zhang has defended her title just once a year since reclaiming it, and Jandiroba is willing to wait for her golden opportunity. “I like long camps to train to evolve, and I’ll use time as an advantage,” she said. “It’s up to the UFC now.”
Zhang, undefeated by submission in MMA, holds a 6-1 record in UFC title bouts with two finishes. Jandiroba, with 14 of her 22 wins via jiu-jitsu, is prepared for a potential five-round battle.
“She’s a powerful athlete,” Jandiroba said about Zhang. “I have to make adjustments to face her for five rounds. I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time.”