Virna Jandiroba utilized her superior grappling skills to decisively defeat Yan Xiaonan, solidifying her status as the top-ranked strawweight contender in the UFC. Following this dominant performance, she is highly confident that her next fight will be for the championship belt.
The former Invicta FC champion extended her winning streak to an impressive five consecutive victories with her recent bout at UFC 314 on April 12. This notable run includes a submission win over Amanda Lemos, alongside decision victories against Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Lupita Godinez. The skilled Brazilian fighter sees no other logical scenario than a title clash against the reigning 115-pound queen, Zhang Weili.
Speaking about her position, Jandiroba stated, “If not now, honestly… there`s nothing left for me to do. I absolutely believe I am next, definitely. It`s the longest winning streak in the strawweight division, five in a row, so there`s no other possibility. I`ve accepted every fight the UFC asked me to take and I`ve been patient. When the Tatiana Suarez fight fell through and she got a title opportunity, I waited. Now, it is my time. There is no other way.”
Zhang Weili had previously mentioned to MMA Fighting an interest in potentially moving up to challenge flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko. However, with Shevchenko now scheduled to face Manon Fiorot on May 10, Jandiroba feels even more secure in her claim for the next title shot.
Jandiroba commented on the situation, saying, “That`s the current scenario, and honestly, I feel quite relaxed about it. It`s simply a fact that I am next. There`s nothing else left to accomplish. I even took one more fight; I didn`t just sit and wait. I fought Yan Xiaonan, who was the previous No. 1 contender, and now I am the No. 1 contender. If I was confident before, with this situation now, I will just sit and wait – and train while waiting [laughs].”
Zhang has defended her title belt only once per year since reclaiming it, but Jandiroba expressed that she has no issue waiting as long as necessary to get her opportunity to challenge for the gold.
“I like long training camps to improve and evolve, and I will use the time to my advantage,” Jandiroba remarked. “The decision is now up to the UFC.”
The Chinese champion has a robust record, never having been defeated by submission in her MMA career and holding a 6-1 record in UFC title bouts with two finishes. Jandiroba, conversely, has earned 14 of her 22 professional victories through her strong jiu-jitsu skills and is preparing to be ready for a full five-round championship fight if required.
Describing Zhang`s attributes, Jandiroba said, “She is a powerful athlete. I will need to make adjustments specifically to face her for five rounds. My strategies must be adapted because it`s a five-round fight. I have already competed in five-round bouts in Invicta and trained for that duration for the Amanda Lemos fight, so I have been preparing for this kind of moment for a long time.”
