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Five Zhang Weili Fights To Watch Before UFC 292
The Strawweight Champion Is Back To Defend Her Title In Boston. Take A Look At Five Of Zhang Weili’s Best Performances To Date.
Zhang Weili’s rise to the top of the strawweight division was a fast and furious one.
China’s first champ needed only four fights inside the Octagon to write her name in the record books as a UFC champion. After losing the belt to Rose Namajunas, she needed only three fights to get it back.
This weekend in Boston, Zhang looks to earn her first title defense on her second title reign when she faces Amanda Lemos in the co-main event at UFC 292.
Take a look at her greatest hits as we prepare to watch her compete on August 19.
Zhang Weili vs Jessica Aguilar
UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs Ngannou 2 – November 24, 2018
Zhang Weili’s performance against Jessica Aguilar showed that China had a true contender in “Magnum”.
In front of a home crowd in Beijing, Zhang dominated Aguilar from start to finish before ending the bout with an armbar. Zhang landed devastating elbows prior to the submission, which split Aguilar open. Those strikes displayed the power and ferocity that Zhang would bring into the Octagon in the very near future.
Zhang Weili vs Jessica Andrade
UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs Weili – August 31, 2019
Zhang wasted no time bringing the fight to Jessica Andrade and bring the belt to China in just 42 seconds.
Zhang went right at Andrade, landing a huge strike in the pocket that clearly did damage. That’s when she attacked Andrade’s body with knee after knee after knee that forced Andrade to retreat across the entire Octagon and cover up on the canvas.
Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jędrzejczyk
UFC 248: Adesanya vs Romero – March 7, 2020
Zhang’s first title defense was slated against none other than former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk – and it was one of the best fights in UFC history.
The two strawweights battled for 25 minutes, neither giving up a step or leaving a strike unreturned. The back-and-forth bout had T-Mobile in a frenzy and fight fans around the world praising the output and toughness from both combatants.
In the end, Zhang was given the split decision nod in what felt like a razor close fight. It was a truly epic performance and cemented her legacy as one of the best strawweights to ever step in the Octagon.
Zhang Weili vs Joanna Jędrzejczyk 2
UFC 275: Teixeira vs Prochazka – June 11, 2022
It was going to be tough for Zhang and Jędrzejczyk to replicate the magic that fans saw in their first fight, but somehow, some way, Zhang made it happen.
Midway through the second round Zhang landed a spinning backfist that dropped Jędrzejczyk flat on the canvas and put an immediate end to the bout. It was a special moment for Zhang, especially considering that she was coming off back-to-back defeats to Rose Namajunas. It was the perfect way for her to get back into the win column and title contention.
Zhang Weili vs Carla Esparza
UFC 281: Adesanya vs Pereira – November 12, 2022
Zhang’s quest to recapture the UFC strawweight title culminated at Madison Square Garden in November of 2022, when she faced Carla Esparza for the belt.
It was a dominant showing for Zhang, who utilized her excellent grappling to control Esparza and eventually sink in a rear naked choke for the win. It was a perfect performance and showed the true evolution of Zhang’s skill set.
UFC 292: Sterling vs O'Malley took place live from TD Garden in Boston on August 19, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
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