Virna Jandiroba: ‘It’s my time’ to challenge Zhang Weili for UFC title

Virna Jandiroba outclassed Yan Xiaonan with her superior grappling to become the No. 1 ranked strawweight in the UFC, and she’s confident that her next fight will be for the belt.

The former Invicta FC champion is now riding a five-fight winning streak coming out of UFC 314 on April 12, a run that includes a submission victory Amanda Lemos and decisions over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez and Lupita Godinez. The Brazilian talent sees no other scenario next except for a clash with 115-pound queen Zhang Weili.

“If not now, honestly… There’s nothing left to be done,” Jandiroba told MMA Fighting. “I think [I’m next]. Definitely. It’s the longest winning streak at strawweight, five in a row, so there’s nothing else. I’ve fought every fight the UFC asked me to do, and I was patient. The Tatiana [Suarez fight] fell off and she went for the belt, and I was patient. It’s my time now. There’s no other way.”

Zhang told MMA Fighting prior to her latest victory over Tatiana Suarez that she was interested in possibly moving up to flyweight to challenge UFC queen Valentina Shevchenko. With “Bullet” currently slated to face Manon Fiorot on May 10, Jandiroba feels solid in her position.

“The scenario is that, and honestly, I’m quite relaxed,” Jandiroba said. “It’s a fact that I’m next. There’s nothing else to be done. I even fought one more, I didn’t sit and wait. I fought Yan Xiaonan, who was the No. 1 contender, and now I’m the No. 1 contender. If I already felt confident before, with this scenario now I’ll just sit and wait — and train while waiting [laughs].”

Zhang only defended her belt once a year since since winning it back, and Jandiroba has no issue waiting as long as it takes to get her crack at the gold.

“I like long camps to train to evolve, and I’ll use time as an advantage,” Jandiroba said. “It’s up to the UFC now.”

The Chinese champion has never lost via submission in MMA, going 6-1 in UFC title bouts with a pair of finishes. Jandiroba scored 14 of her 22 professional victories using her jiu-jitsu, and vows to be ready for a five-round war if necessary.

“She’s a powerful athlete,” Jandiroba said of Zhang. “I have to make adjustments to face her for five rounds. I have to adapt my strategies because it’s five rounds. I’ve already fought five rounds back in Invicta, and I’ve trained for that in the Amanda [Lemos] fight, so I’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time.”