Abstract: This is the 7th world championship match of Zhang Weili's career, and it is also a battle of kings belonging to China's "Valkyrie".
On April 14, Beijing time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC300) kicked off in Las Vegas, USA. In the high-profile Chinese Champion derby, Zhang Weili defeated compatriot Yan Xiaonan to successfully defend the belt.
The 34-year-old entered the UFC in 2018 and at the end of that year, she shouted "China's Zhang Weili" in a first-round armbar submission victory over Jessica Aguilla at UFC Fight Night in Beijing. In Shenzhen in 2019, Zhang Weili TKO Jessica Andrade won the UFC strawweight (115 pound) world championship belt just 42 seconds later, becoming China's first and Asia's first UFC world champion.
Zhang Weili lifted the belt for the fifth time. Xinhua News Agency
In the following years, Zhang Weili played more in the United States, and Zhang Weili, who was more mature in mentality and technology, was also more international.
Although there was a low point of losing the gold belt, Zhang Weili adjusted her state and realized the "return of the king". In August last year, Zhang Weili defended her first title after regaining the UFC strawweight title, and in an all-around crushing battle, Zhang Weili defeated Brazilian Amanda Lemos to defend the belt.
Zhang Weili hits with precision. Xinhua News Agency
Yan Xiaonan is less than a year older than Zhang Weili, and the two first met ten years ago, teaching part-time at the same martial arts club. When Zhang Weili signed with the UFC in 2018, she and Yan Xiaonan also shared a physical trainer, but the training period was staggered.
As the first Chinese female boxer to sign with the UFC, the 34-year-old Yan Xiaonan currently has a 17-3 record, including eight knockout finishes, ranking first in the women's strawweight division, and is the best candidate to challenge for the gold at this stage.
In the music of "Fly Away", Yan Xiaonan, who was holding a five-star red flag, took the lead. Subsequently, in the singing of "A Laugh in the Sea" in "Smiling Proud Jianghu", Zhang Weili also stepped into the ring, and the two with similar height, same arm span, and similar age started a five-round duel.
The match between the two Chinese players was extraordinary. Xinhua News Agency
The competition was extremely intense, and at the carnival held at the UFC Elite Training Center in Shanghai, the two or three hundred spectators present watched with relish, cheering and shouting, as if they were in the competition. In the first few rounds, Yan's striking caused Zhang Weili huge problems, with multiple accurate hits, while Yan Xiaonan showed strong resilience and stubbornly carried it to the end of the first round despite being locked by Zhang Weili.
In the third round, Zhang's fitness declined, but in the next two rounds, the more well-rounded Zhang Weili no longer stood up with Yan Xiaonan, but gained the advantage through multiple takedowns and ground pressing, and finally won by decision.
Yan Xiaonan also needs to strengthen training. Xinhua News Agency
After the competition, Zhang Weili once again showed her demeanor as a world-class athlete. She not only thanked Chinese martial arts fans for their support, but also became a recommended ambassador for China Tourism, sending an invitation to martial arts fans and viewers around the world, "I would like to thank all the viewers and friends who support MMA (free fighting) to be here, and all the people who support Chinese women, and welcome everyone to travel to China and experience Chinese culture." ”
Currently, Zhang Weili is only six behind Joanna Yeddellzecik with five championship victories and ranks second in women's strawweight history with five victories. After that, Zhang Weili is likely to escalate the challenge and complete her dream of winning the double. She especially praised Yan Xiaonan as a very tenacious fighter with a very strong desire to win, and hoped that after this match, the two would become good friends.
Yan Xiaonan didn't need to be discouraged after the loss, and after suffering from injuries, she re-proved her strength, especially her precise striking ability and tenacity. In the future, if she can strengthen her ground wrestling skills, she will definitely be even stronger.
The header picture shows the referee announcing Zhang Weili as the winner. Xinhua News Agency