Jessica Andrade vs. Weili Zhang targeted for Aug. 31 UFC event in China

Jessica Andrade could have an opponent for her first title defense.

MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin and Guilherme Cruz confirmed with sources that Andrade (20-6) and Weili Zhang (19-1) have verbally agreed to face one another in a strawweight championship bout at an upcoming UFC Fight Night event on Aug. 31 at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, China.

The matchup was first reported by ESPN.

Andrade became the UFC strawweight champion with a knockout slam of Rose Namajunas at UFC 237 in May. Since dropping down to 115 pounds, the 27-year-old Brazilian is 7-1 and she has won her last four fights.

A return to fight preparation will likely be a welcome distraction for Andrade, who was recently involved in a scary incident in her native Brazil that saw Andrade and her wife Fernanda robbed at gunpoint.

In three appearances for the UFC, Zhang, 29, is unbeaten. Her last two wins have come against veterans Tecia Torres and Jessica Aguilar. Zhang has won 19 consecutive bouts, with her only professional loss coming in her pro debut back in November 2013. She hails from Hebei, China.

The UFC’s Aug. 31 show is expected to air its main card on the ESPN+ streaming service.