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Zhang Weili | Built Different
UFC Strawweight Champion’s Constant Focus On Improvement Makes Her An All-Time Great
If you ever wondered what separates the all-time greats from the rest of the pack in sports, it usually comes down to the way they look at their achievements and how they respond to success.
In most cases, accomplishing the ultimate goal isn’t an end point or something that prompts them to let their foot off the gas, but rather the opposite; it’s the spark that pushes them to continue working tirelessly to improve, add to their repertories, and hone their skills even more.
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That’s the way strawweight champion Zhang Weili approaches her career, and it’s why, on the eve of her bout with undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez in the co-main of UFC 312 this weekend at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, the two-time titleholder is speaking so much about needing to continue getting better.
“I think being a good example for others means I need to do everything even better,” Zhang said on Wednesday morning through an interpreter when asked about being at the vanguard of the rise of Chinese MMA. “It means that I need to continue to improve and continue to be better than my old self.”
Most people with Zhang’s accomplishments and accolades may choose to take a different approach, and it’s understandable, because what the 35-year-old titleholder has already done to this point of her career is tremendous.
Heading into this weekend’s pay-per-view, the Chinese standout is 9-2 inside the Octagon and 25-3 overall, having won championship gold on two occasions and successfully defended the belt three times, including twice already in her second stint on the throne.
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Her bout with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 is one of the greatest bouts of all-time and destined to find a place in the Fight Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame at some point in the future, and she has shown that championship drive and focus in each of her three bouts since beating Jedrzejczyk a second time, turning in a dominant effort to reclaim the title from Carla Esparza before outclassing Amanda Lemos and rallying to beat compatriot Yan Xiaonan in an historic all-Chinese championship bout at UFC 300 last April.
“I think it was a historical breakthrough for Chinese MMA; the first time two MMA fighters from China competed in such a high-level fight,” she said of the clash with Yan, where she appeared on the brink of securing a finish before the challenger turned the tables and claimed all the momentum, only for Zhang to change up her tactics and find a way to secure the victory.
Zhang Weili | Best Finishes
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Zhang Weili | Best Finishes
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It was one of the best fights of 2024, and yet still, her focus is on continuing to level up and push herself to be even better.
While most of it is instinctual and the way she has always carried herself, a part of it undoubtedly is driven by the fact that she’s stepping in with an absolute standout this weekend in Suarez.
RELATED: Elite MMA Coach Breaks Down Zhang vs Suarez Matchup
Tabbed as a future challenger and possible champion from the moment she claimed victory on Season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter, Suarez has not only remained unbeaten, but worked her way to Saturday’s championship contest while navigating the kind of setbacks and injuries that might make some reconsider whether they really wanted to continue pursuing a career inside the Octagon.
After consecutive finishes over Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza established her as a legitimate contender in the 115-pound ranks, Suarez went nearly a year without a fight as others near the top of the division steered clear of her. When she finally faced off with Nina Nunes at UFC 238, a neck injury sustained during the fight limited her abilities inside the cage and resulted in a two-year layoff. As she was readying to face Roxanne Modafferi in her return to action, Suarez shredded her knee, adding another two years to her stay on the sidelines.
She finally returned in February 2023, submitting Montana De La Rosa in a flyweight contest before returning to strawweight and doing the same to former champion Jessica Andrade, moving her record to 10-0 overall while reminding everyone of her world-class skills and championship-tier talent.
“I think Tatiana is great in her wrestling and grappling, but I have also improved a lot in my wrestling and grappling in the past couple years, and prepared a lot for this,” Zhang said of her American opponent, who has earned four of her six post-TUF wins inside the distance and looms as arguably the champion’s toughest test since reclaiming the title in November 2022.
RELATED: The Moment Arrives For Suarez | Suarez ESPN Interview
“I think right after I fought Amanda Lemos,” she said when asked when Suarez first truly appeared on her radar as someone she anticipated facing inside the Octagon. “I think Tatiana was there and I thought she was gonna call my name and want to challenge (me), but for a long time, they were very quiet.”
While she’s unsure why Suarez was initially quiet, Zhang expects their fight this weekend to be the opposite once the Octagon door closes.
“I believe this will be a great fight for the audience,” she said when asked about how she sees the fight playing out. “A lot of people may think it’s a fight between striking and wrestling, but I don’t think so.”
It’s unlikely to be a classic clash of singular styles because the truth about Zhang is that she has developed into one of the best all-around talents in the sport, transforming from someone that was primarily a striker in the early stages of her UFC career to a multi-faceted talent whose wrestling and grappling has grown by leaps and bounds.
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The fact that she has become so skilled in the clinch and on the canvas speaks to that elite-level approach and attitude — that “the best still work tirelessly to get better” drive, which she expressed by echoing the legendary Bruce Lee.
“I think being a champion is like being water,” began Zhang. “Being water is very important because as the champion, every fighter and every opponent in the division looks at you, and if you maintain a fixed style, it’s not gonna work.
“So I have to improve myself in all areas and be flexible whoever the opponent will be.”
It’s clearly something she has done throughout her career, and done with great success, as her second stint atop the strawweight division has already exceeded her first in both duration and number of successful title defenses.
UFC 312 FREE FIGHTS: Du Plessis vs Strickland 1 | Zhang vs Yan | Strickland vs Costa | Du Plessis vs Adesanya | Suarez vs Andrade
And it’s something she will surely continue to do going forward, as evidenced by the way she responded when asked what goals and accomplishments she still would like to pursue, given all that she’s already achieved in the sport.
“My current goal is just to win this fight; I just focus on this fight,” she said without pause. “I think it’s most important to focus on this fight.”
UFC 312: Du Plessis vs Strickland 2 took place live from Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney Olympic Park, New South Wales, Australia on February 8, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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