UFC 322 results, highlights: Valentina Shevchenko shuts out Weili Zhang to retain women's flyweight title

Zhang Weili came up short in her pursuit of history at UFC 322. Weili vacated the strawweight championship in an attempt to move up and capture flyweight gold against legendary champion Valentina Shevchenko, but she was never able to get her gameplan going as Shevchenko's size and wrestling was simply too much as she cruised to a dominant decision victory in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Shevchenko's size advantage looked clear as the fight began, but Weili looked as though her intention was to use her speed and movement to get in and get out. Weili's aggression proved to create a stumbling block in the opening round as her attempt to charge in to strike led to Shevchenko scoring a takedown and ending up in top position on the ground. Weili was able to scramble to her feet without taking much damage, however, and she tried to impose her will in a clinch against the cage before being taken down for a second time, where Shevchenko controlled the action until the horn to signal the end of the opening frame.

Shevchenko was able to score another takedown in the opening minute of the second round, grabbing a clinch and sweeping Weili to the canvas. Unlike the first round, Shevchenko was able to advance position, moving to side control. Shevchenko was able to maintain top position for the remainder of the round.

Weili managed to find some footing in Round 3, avoiding takedowns and forcing more striking exchanges. Shevchenko was able to blast Weili to the body, hurting her and forcing a momentary retreat. Shortly after, Shevchenko scored another takedown, fully cutting off Weili's solid start to the frame and grinding on the challenger until the horn to end the round.

Weili appeared hesitant to start Round 4, knowing her attempts to explode forward had repeatedly led to her ending up on her back against the larger champion. With a little over a minute left in the round, Shevchenko again took the fight to the ground before again grinding on Weili to the end of the round.

Ahead of the final round, Weili's corner implored her to shoot for takedowns. Weili tried to lock up a clinch, despite that she had been badly outgrappled throughout the fight, but struggled with Shevchenko's strength in the clinch again. The second time the women clinched, Shevchenko was able to drive forward with a double underhook and take Weili down again, and again, Weili had no answer for Shevchenko's top game, remaining pinned to the canvas until the final horn.

Unsurprisingly, all three official scorecards read 50-45 in Shevchenko's favor as she tied the record for UFC title defenses by a woman across her two reigns as champion. Shevchenko also tied Amanda Nunes as the only women with 10 wins in UFC championship fights.

"I was prepared for this fight as the hardest challenge in my life," Shevchenko said after the fight. "I knew I could not rush with Weili because she has super punch knockout power. ... That's why I was using the distance and my wrestling."

For her part, Weili did not commit one way or another to staying at flyweight or moving back to the strawweight division she dominated previously, saying, "I'm probably going to take a rest and think about it."