Yan also indicated that UFC is considering a return to China.

"I met (UFC president) Dana (White) in the locker room after the fight and he said, 'Let's do it in China.' So if we can make a UFC China event happen, let's pull it up," Yan told online show The MMA Hour after her first-round stoppage of Andrade in May.

"I think it's possible, yeah, probably at some point at the end of this year."

"China vs China championship! How the sport has grown. #UFCBoston," retired welterweight fighter and commentator Alan Jouban tweeted after Zhang's triumph on Saturday.

American contender Tatiana Suarez also stands out as a reasonable challenger after building a perfect 10-0 record, but the allure of pitting two homegrown stars against each other on Chinese soil could push Yan to the front of the line.

Either way, Zhang figures to be the favorite.