UFC 281 likely now has a co-main event, as reigning women's strawweight champion Carla Esparza will defend against former division ruler Zhang Weili at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 12.
Esparza, 19-6, revealed the pairing on her verified Instagram account Thursday afternoon. The bout has not been confirmed by the Ultimate Fighting Championship as of publication time.
Esparza recently regained the strawweight title for a second time by defeating Rose Namajunas at UFC 274 via split decision, in what was widely considered one of the dullest title fights in mixed martial arts history.