The Paper's reporter Chen Jun
On June 12, Beijing time, UFC275 started in Singapore, and China's Zhang Weili and Joanna will play a high-profile second-time battle.
Previously, in March 2020, Zhang Weili had defeated Joanna to defend the golden belt for the first time, and the matchup was officially rated as the best game of the year by the UFC at the end of the year. Two years later, the reunion between the two sides is bound to attract the attention of global fighting fans.
It is worth mentioning that the winner of this competition will also qualify to challenge the new grass welt champion Carla Espaza, and the game has been given more meaning in addition to the strong dialogue.
Zhang Weili is about to face Joanna again.
Old rivals reunite, and they don't want to miss the opportunity
Zhang Weili and Joanna's battle can be described as Mars hitting the earth, the two sides played 5 rounds, and finally Zhang Weili narrowly won. Because the game was too exciting, it was popular all over the net for a time, and Zhang Weili's reputation was even worse than when she won the gold belt in 42 seconds to win Andrade.
However, after that, the careers of both of them have entered a bottleneck period: Joanna, who suffered a heavy blow, temporarily faded out of the octagon cage and did not play a game for more than 2 years; Zhang Weili lost both matches with Rose.
In April 2021, Zhang Weili was KO by Rose in the first round, losing the gold belt, and in November 2021, Zhang Weili played 5 rounds with Rose, and finally decided that revenge was unsuccessful because of differences.
It can be said that the current second war is a precious opportunity for both of them, and each needs to declare their return with a victory.
Compared with a wartime, Joanna retracted a lot before the game, but as the game approached, she still said in a high profile: "I want to 'reshape' Zhang Weili like a surgeon." ”
For this strange pre-match provocation in the UFC arena, Zhang Weili was as calm as ever, responding with a joking tone: "She is daydreaming, this is all her imagination, but the actual situation will not develop as she thinks, I don't know why she said this, maybe she herself (beaten more) did more surgery." ”
Zhang Weili hopes that she can get into the state as soon as possible in the game.
Prepare for battle with ease and adjust to your best
As seen by the outside world, this time Zhang Weili's entire preparation period is relatively relaxed, and in an interview with the surging news reporter, she said that in Singapore, she can quickly enter the role.
"The climate is very adaptable, there is no need to be jet-lagged like going to the United States, and there are a lot of Chinese in Singapore, which feels like a home game in China."
"In the past, I have ended the first leg of my home games and I hope to play a little bit this time. In addition, it is very important to note that I was in very good physical condition before this competition and there were no injuries. ”
However, relaxed to relax, for the competition, Zhang Weili's preparation is not sloppy, before arriving in Singapore, the place of the competition, Zhang Weili arranged her training camp in Thailand.
In her own words, "this time there has been an improvement in all aspects, and the speed and strength are more solid than before."
Considering that this time is a three-legged game, Zhang Weili believes that she needs to be more focused and get into the state as soon as possible, "(The game) does not have time to wait for you to warm up, does not allow you to have a slow heat situation, I believe this is a fast-paced game."
Zhang Weili's first match with Joanna is a classic.
Defeat and growth made her stronger
Considering that the battle between the two sides was extremely fierce, Zhang Weili's advantage was not obvious, and this time the media asked Zhang Weili, now Zhang Weili and himself two years ago to have a duel, who will win? sheet
Wei Li said bluntly, "Then I will definitely win now, because I am more mature than before."
In the past two years, Zhang Weili has encountered a powerful opponent like Rose, and she is learning from experience and constantly improving in all aspects.
In addition to her previous strength in standing fighting, she also followed the team of former UFC champion Sehudo to improve her ground skills, and more importantly, Zhang Weili's heart has become stronger because of failure.
In previous exchanges with the surging news reporter, Zhang Weili admitted that when she first lost the game, she could not get out for a long time.
But in this pre-match interview, she said that the way she looks at the game is changing — the game has lost and won, and it can't be defined as a failure because it loses.
"A person's heart is about the size of a fist, and if you keep everything in your heart, you can't do anything." The past is over, we learn from the experience, and then we can continue to work hard. ”
From winning the gold belt in a winning streak, to defending the title, to losing the gold belt, to challenging failure, in the past few years, Zhang Weili has experienced the peak and trough of her career in the octagon cage, and she has gradually learned to be spoiled.
Regaining the gold belt is Zhang Weili's biggest goal at the moment.
Perseverance will definitely be rewarded
At the moment, Zhang Weili also talked about Carla, who regained the grassweight gold belt after 8 years, and Zhang Weili believes that Cara's story is also an inspiration for herself.
"In 8 years, she has proved that as long as you persevere in doing one thing, you will eventually gain something. In fact, the first few players at this level have their own characteristics and skills, and everyone has a kind of mutually exclusive relationship, depending on who can laugh to the end. ”
Of course, Zhang Weili also longs to be the one who laughs to the end, and defeating Joanna is the first step for her to start again.
If she can win, Zhang Weili is expected to face the current champion Carla who recently defeated Rose within the year, and the competition will most likely be played in the United States.
"I flew to the United States after playing this game, prepared for the next stage, and already booked the ticket for the 14th..." Such a schedule proves that Zhang Weili is full of confidence in herself.
Regarding when to return to China, Zhang Weili said loudly: "I hope to come back after taking the 'belt'." ”
Editor-in-Charge: Pu Yaolei