Virna Jandiroba has solidified her position as the top contender in the UFC strawweight division with a dominant grappling performance against Yan Xiaonan. She is now highly confident that her next bout will be a challenge for the championship title.
The former Invicta FC champion extended her impressive winning streak to five consecutive victories with her recent performance at UFC 314 on April 12th. This streak includes a notable submission win over Amanda Lemos, alongside decision victories against Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Lupita Godinez. The talented Brazilian fighter firmly believes that a showdown with the reigning 115-pound queen, Zhang Weili, is the only logical next step.
Expressing her conviction, Jandiroba stated, “Honestly, if not now, there`s nothing left to be done. I absolutely believe I am next. Without a doubt. It`s the longest active winning streak in the strawweight division, five in a row, so there are no other contenders with such momentum. I`ve consistently taken every fight the UFC has offered me and remained patient. When the fight with Tatiana Suarez fell through and she ended up fighting for the belt, I waited. Now, it is unequivocally my time. There is no other possibility.”
Prior to her latest successful title defense against Tatiana Suarez, Zhang Weili had mentioned a potential interest in moving up to the flyweight division to challenge champion Valentina Shevchenko. However, with Shevchenko currently scheduled to face Manon Fiorot on May 10th, Jandiroba feels her position as the clear next challenger is even more secure.
Jandiroba conveyed her calm confidence, saying, “That`s the current scenario, and honestly, I feel quite relaxed about it. It is simply a fact that I am next in line. There`s nothing more for me to do. I even took another fight instead of just waiting; I fought Yan Xiaonan, who was the top contender at the time, and now I hold that No. 1 spot. If I felt confident before this, with the current situation, I will simply sit back, wait for the call, and keep training intensely [laughs].”
Zhang Weili has defended her championship title approximately once a year since reclaiming it, and Jandiroba is perfectly fine with waiting for her opportunity, regardless of how long it takes to get her shot at the gold.
“I appreciate having long training camps to evolve and improve, and I plan to use this waiting period as an advantage,” Jandiroba stated. “Now, the decision rests with the UFC.”
The Chinese champion has never suffered a loss via submission in her MMA career (holding a 6-1 record in UFC title fights with two finishes). In contrast, Jandiroba has secured 14 of her 22 professional victories using her formidable jiu-jitsu skills. She vows to be fully prepared for a grueling five-round battle if necessary.
Describing Zhang Weili, Jandiroba noted, “She is a very powerful athlete. I will need to make specific adjustments to face her over five rounds. I must adapt my strategies accordingly for a championship distance fight. I have previously fought five rounds in Invicta FC, and I specifically trained for that possibility for the Amanda Lemos fight, so I have been preparing for this significant moment for a long time.”
