On the 14th, Beijing time, the first "Chinese Derby" championship match in UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) history was staged in Las Vegas, USA. Zhang Weili and Yan Xiaonan met in the women's strawweight final, and in the end, reigning women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili showed super ground suppression and defeated compatriot Yan Xiaonan to successfully defend the belt after five rounds of fierce battle.
Zhang Weili after winning the championship
"The Queen of Martial Arts" successfully defended her title once again
As a leading figure in the Chinese women's mixed martial arts field, Zhang Weili has already won the title of World Champion back in 2019. After an epic showdown with Joanna, she became a household name as the "Queen of Martial Arts". Although she lost the belt to "Thug Rose" Rose, Zhang Weili soon staged the "Return of the King" and took back the title that belonged to her.
Compared with Zhang Weili, Yan Xiaonan is slightly inferior in popularity, but his results are also outstanding. As the first Chinese female athlete to sign with the UFC, Yan Xiaonan had an overall record of 17-3-1 before this "Chinese derby", with 8 of them won by knockout. Yan Xiaonan defeated former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade last May to become one of Zhang's strongest challengers.
Zhang Weili (top) and Yan Xiaonan in the game.
Heading into the bout, both fighters were positive in the first round. Yan dominated with a takedown and a straight punch, but Zhang quickly countered and nearly finished the submission with a wave of back-to-back rear-naked chokes.
In the second round, Zhang showed off her strong ground control and attempted a rear-naked choke again. In a very passive situation, Yan Xiaonan survived and completed the turnover.
In the third round, Yan Xiaonan suddenly hit a side kick in the retreat, and then continued to press, not giving Zhang Weili a chance to get up. As the game progressed, both men were experiencing a decline in stamina.
In the fourth round, Yan Xiaonan completed another knockout, and then the two grappled together. At the cage side, Zhang Weili continued to suppress the upper position after holding and falling, and regained the advantage. In the final round, Zhang Weili once again formed an upper position after a high kick, and the ground advantage was very obvious. Yan Xiaonan was tired of defending and did not find a chance to counterattack.
In the end, after five rounds of competition, Zhang Weili defeated Yan Xiaonan by unanimous decision and once again defended the women's strawweight belt.
Zhang Weili (right) and Yan Xiaonan in the game
There are no losers in the "Chinese Derby".
Although the "Chinese Derby" of the first championship fight in UFC history was divided into winners and losers, from the super high attention and the process of the game, there were no real losers!
First held in 1993, the UFC is the world's premier and largest professional mixed martial arts event, and was controversial in its early years for being too brutal and bloody, but as the rules have been further improved, the event's influence has become more widespread.
In China, with Zhang Weili's victories one after another, mixed martial arts has grown rapidly in China. In an interview with the media, Zhang Weili said that there are many new gyms in China, and many young people are starting to participate in different combat sports, such as sanda, wrestling, jiu-jitsu, etc., "I really think that mixed martial arts is growing very quickly in China and has a bright future." ”
As China's first female UFC fighter, Yan Xiaonan's first UFC fight came nine months before Zhang Weili and went on a staggering six-game winning streak. Over the years, although there have been ups and downs, Yan Xiaonan has never given up, and finally stood in this championship battle. Although he failed in the end, he proved his mettle in a fierce five-round battle. What is more meaningful than competing for the championship is that Yan Xiaonan hopes that this "China Derby" will bring a positive effect, showing the power of Chinese women while allowing more young girls to understand and participate in mixed martial arts. "I hope that more young Chinese fighters will enter the UFC, challenge for the championship, challenge the top 10, and win the championship. ”
Zhang Weili expressed the same sentiment, "Personally, it's a match, but it's a new level for Chinese mixed martial arts. "Let's look forward to the fact that these two Chinese fighters will continue to give us more wonderful performances in the future, and hope that mixed martial arts will develop even more in China!"
Proofread by Li Haihui