Denied! Zhang Snubs Jedrzejczyk, Targets Namajunas

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Sound familiar?

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women’s strawweight champion, Joanna Jedrzejczyk, insists her win over Michelle Waterson in the UFC Tampa main event last weekend on ESPN+ was enough to secure her the next 115-pound title shot.

I guess Weili Zhang was too busy getting JACKED to read the Email.

The reigning division champion has already set her sights on some of the other top names in her weight class, like former titleholder Rose Namajunas. Or maybe this is payback for the three times Jedrzejczyk turned her down.

“For Joanna, I don’t think she’s the fighter she used to be, I’m not very interested,” Zhang told TMZ. “She needs me more than I need her and she is struggling in the division to fight me, but I don’t know if I will give her the chance. I want to fight the best, I think maybe Rose is a good [choice].”

Zhang also expressed interest in moving up a division to challenge current women’s flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko, which is probably not a realistic goal until she has at least one or two title defenses at her current weight.

“If I had the chance I’d like to go up a weight class and fight the best and right now I think Valentina is one of the best female fighters,” Zhang said.

Despite her win over “Karate Hottie,” Jedrzejczyk remains ranked No. 4 in the division, behind the undefeated Tatiana Suarez (No. 3), the aforementioned Namajunas (No. 2), and ex-champion Jessica Andrade (No. 1), who was crushed by Zhang at UFC Shenzhen.

As of this writing, all four contenders — as well as the champion — remain unbooked.