From a working girl to a UFC fighting queen, Zhang Weili conquered the octagon with her strength
When it comes to mixed martial arts, many people think of the movie "In the Octagon" released this summer. From a working girl to a fighting queen, Chinese kickboxer Zhang Weili's road to fame is undoubtedly a realistic version of "In the Octagon Cage".
On August 20, Zhang Weili successfully defended her title after a five-round fight over Brazil's Amanda Lemos in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 292 co-main event that ended in Boston, USA. The news spread back to China and caused heated public opinion, everyone congratulated Zhang Weili, and also launched extensive discussions on the UFC in which he participated. Why is the UFC getting so much attention? How did Eastern Kong conquer the Western ring?
▲The referee announced that Zhang Weili (front left) won the match. (Image from Xinhua News Agency)
Eastern power burns passionately in the Western ring
In the day's match, Zhang Weili and her opponent Lemus hit 296-29, which helped Zhang Weili set a new UFC record for women's single-game total hits and set a record for the second largest margin in a UFC championship fight.
After successfully defending her UFC strawweight title, Zhang Weili confidently said in English: "I'm Zhang Weili, from China, you already know me, right?" Her aura and charm won cheers from the audience.
For Zhang Weili's successful defense of the title, foreign media also spoke highly of it. USA Today pointed out: "Zhang Weili performed brilliantly against Remus and consolidated his dominance in the strawweight division. The American "MMA News" website praised Zhang Weili as "like a beast on the field, she showed absolute dominance, as the defending champion, her sharp moves, and finally won by an undoubted advantage." ”
In the fierce octagonal cage match, every punch is solid, but Zhang Weili bravely faces it and is not afraid of challenges. As she herself said, "Women do not represent more than tender and delicate beauty. We can also show the beauty of health, exercise, strength and self-confidence. Who dares to say, I am not beautiful? ”
▲On June 15, 2020, UFC Women's Strawweight World Champion Zhang Weili conducted a 2-hour public media training at the UFC Training Center in Shanghai. (Photo from China News Agency)
"Octagonal cage" is easy to walk in and difficult to get out
Although today's Zhang Weili has proved her beauty with her strength, the female martial arts king's athletic career has not been smooth. Zhang Weili began learning martial arts at the age of 6 and was introduced to sanda and boxing at the age of 9. Training at martial arts school was hard and difficult, and she was injured many times during years of training, so at the age of 17, she chose to retire under the persuasion of her parents. But Zhang Weili, who has a tough and independent personality, did not rely on his family after retiring, but chose to become a "North Drifter". She has worked as a waiter, security guard, kindergarten teacher, bodyguard, gym coach and so on. Even though life was tough, she kept training. Years later, she persuaded her family to support her becoming a professional combat athlete.
Zhang Weili's success is not accidental, behind her countless diligence and perseverance. Her day revolves almost exclusively around eating, sleeping, and training. When people were curious about how she maintained her fighting spirit, Zhang Weili said frankly: "The real opponent is only herself. All I want is to be better myself. ”
Before heading to Boston to compete, Weili Zhang shared her strict diet plan while training in the United States. Breakfast includes beef, shrimp, eggs, rice, leafy greens and a bowl of soup made with cordyceps and goji berries. Lunch is beef, vegetables and fruit. For dinner, she also ate only beef and broccoli.
She chose light and reduced diet, but in training, she was more courageous and engaged. On the last day before the game, Zhang Weili even had the urge to cry. A three-liter water cup that holds 6 pounds of water is just enough to support her morning training. In the afternoon, she drinks the same large glass of water to make sure she doesn't get dehydrated during high-intensity training. Because she drinks a lot of water and sweats a lot, her teammates jokingly call her a "walking sprinkler".
The moment of defeating your opponent is indeed heart-warming, and the glory of winning the belt is also extremely glorious, but the training process behind it is a double baptism of body and mind. Zhang Weili must face a series of extreme challenges such as being hit, knocked down, falling, and locked. One of the most shocking details is that ordinary people practice to have calluses on their hands, and Zhang Weili's training is so fierce that even the calluses on his fingers have been worn off. This is not only a testimony to her efforts, but also shows her ultimate pursuit of martial arts.
▲ Zhang Weili shows the belt after the competition. (Image from Xinhua News Agency)
The UFC's relationship with Chinese kung fu
In fact, Zhang Weili is not the first Eastern face to be associated with mixed martial arts. As early as thirty or forty years ago, Bruce Lee had already proposed the martial arts concept of "mixed martial arts competition". Taking the impossible as the law and the infinite as the finite is the core idea of Jeet Kune Do, which he founded. The full-contact kickboxing ring form was widely promoted by Joe Lewis, known as the "grandmaster of American kickboxing" in the early 70s. Joe Lewis's concept of full-touch kickboxing was largely influenced by his mentor Bruce Lee.
UFC president Dana Bai shared his unique passion for Chinese kung fu in an interview, first mentioning Bruce Lee as a pioneer in mixed martial arts.
Decades later, who would have thought that it was a martial arts queen who would be more Chinese known to mixed martial arts. In March 2020, Zhang Weili's fierce title defense battle with Joanna was named "UFC Match of the Year 2020". This is not only a tribute to Zhang Weili's outstanding talent in martial arts, but also represents a recognition of her unremitting efforts and perseverance. With her victories again and again, the UFC's "fan base" in China has gradually grown. With her excellent fighting skills and irresistible charm, Zhang Weili has made more people feel the extraordinary charm of Chinese martial arts. (End)
Comprehensive Xinhuanet, Beijing News, CCTV, Jingchu.com, Dalian Evening News, Sanlian Life Weekly, etc
Editor: Yuan Li