Fatima Kline did not wait long to name the kind of fight she wants after breaking into the UFC strawweight top 10.
Kline swept Tabatha Ricci on the scorecards at UFC Oklahoma City, then used her post-fight interview with MMA Junkie to point at two names near the top of the division. She said Zhang Weili or Tatiana Suarez would put her on the shortest route toward a title shot.
Kline Wants Zhang Weili Or Tatiana Suarez
“I think the perfect person to put me right in line to beat and to get a title shot after would be Zhang Weili or Tatiana,” Kline said. “You know, Virna already lost to the belt. I guess Tatiana did also lose to the belt, too.”
“I think Weili would be the perfect person,” Kline said. “I think it would be a great fight. I think people think I could beat everybody except for Weili.”
Kline said that idea keeps appearing in the comments, which is part of why the matchup appeals to her.
“I kind of see that in the comments like, ‘Oh, Valentina could beat everybody but Weili,'” Kline said. “And so I would love to prove people wrong with that one and I’d love to prove it to myself.”
“If she decides she’s coming back to 115, I’d love to welcome her back,” Kline said.
Kline’s callout comes after her 30-27 sweep over Ricci at UFC Oklahoma City. The win pushed her winning streak to four and gave her the kind of ranked result that changes the matchmaking conversation quickly at 115 pounds.
Zhang’s next move remains a major part of the strawweight picture. Mackenzie Dern has said UFC officials discussed Zhang Weili for multiple possible locations, while Suarez would offer Kline a very different grappling-heavy test.
Kline Still Wants One More Fight In 2026
Kline said she wants to fight again before the year is over, but only after checking the damage from the Ricci win.
“I’m definitely hoping to be back by the end of the year,” Kline said. “I said in the cage I’d love to get one more in, you know, maybe in December.”
“I got little cuts and bruises, but I’m pretty much good,” Kline said. “I’m going to get my right shoulder checked out. I’m going to get my shoulders checked out just to make sure everything’s right and healthy.”
“I would hate to come back sooner than I should and be fighting with little injuries,” Kline said. “You saw what I looked like on three months with no injuries and completely healthy, and I’d love to give that again to the fans.”
“I’m going to make sure my health is good,” Kline said. “I’m all in one piece, and then hopefully you’ll see me back in December.”
That timeline gives the UFC room to decide whether Kline gets a former champion, a title eliminator, or another ranked matchup first. Either way, she has already made the pitch. If Zhang returns to strawweight, Kline wants to be the fighter waiting at the door.
