Recently crowned UFC strawweight queen Zhang Weili is enjoying the increased exposure of being a UFC champion, but it won’t be long before her attention turns to her first title defense. And her latest Instagram post may have hinted at the identity of her first challenge as champion.
Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) posted on Tuesday night to share her endorsement for a protein powder company, with a short video of her talking about the product. But it was the accompanying message that may have revealed who her next opponent might be.
After plugging her protein, Weili finished her message with a short addendum: “*also I still await the battle contract.”
That was followed by three emojis: a fist, a pen and a Polish flag, which suggests that a matchup with Joanna Jedrzejczyk looks likely, and Weili is simply waiting for the bout agreement to land in her inbox (via Instagram):
*also I still await the battle contract. 
Back in October, Weili suggested that former strawweight champ Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) wouldn’t be her first-choice opponent, with reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko her preferred next fight.
Speaking at UFC at ESPN 6, Weili said, “I definitely want to fight the best of the best, and I think Valentina is the best among the female athletes, so that’s why I want to fight her.”
But it seems the UFC may opt to give Weili a title defense, rather than a step up, in her next outing, and she said that if Jedrzejczyk was the UFC matchmakers’ choice, she’d roll with it.
“For my own division, Rose (Namajunas) is a very good fighter and I respect her a lot,” she said. “But if the UFC wants me to fight Joanna, no problem. I can definitely beat her.”
It will all depend on whose name appears on the sheet when the “battle contract” comes through. But it looks like Weili is ready to go, whomever she’s matched up with.
Zhang Weili hints at Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight: 'I still await the battle contract'