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On April 14, the much-anticipated UFC 300 was held in Las Vegas, USA, which was the first time that the UFC championship station saw a duel between two Chinese fighters.
At the end of the five-round fight, Zhang Weili defeated Yan Xiaonan and successfully defended the women's strawweight belt.
This is a historic moment in Chinese martial arts.
Chinese martial arts, a milestone
Accompanied by the familiar "A Laugh in the Sea", Zhang Weili once again stood in the ring of the UFC championship match. In a live interview with the match, Chinese fighter Li Jingliang said that Zhang's appearance this time was different, "usually she has a smile on her face, but this time it is very serious." Yan Xiaonan, on the other hand, became calm, and his expression seemed to be more fierce than usual.
It was undoubtedly an unusually tight contest, and Yan Xiaonan caused huge problems for Zhang Weili in the first few rounds, as she hit Zhang Weili with precision on several occasions and showed great resilience, carrying it tenaciously to the end of the first round while being choked by Zhang.
Zhang Weili was well-rounded in the first two rounds, showing maturity in both offense, defense, striking and ground grappling.
Although Zhang Weili's fitness declined in the third round, she was still able to gain an advantage through multiple takedowns and ground pressing, and after five rounds of fierce battle, the referee decided that Zhang Weili won.
Zhang Weili continues to hold the strawweight belt, and this is her fifth time winning the division.
"Zhang Weili is the more favored side in this derby" was predicted by the outside world as early as the publicity period before the start of the game, and the result was as expected. At the UFC 300 press conference on April 12, the UFC president announced that the bonus for the fight had risen from $50,000 to $300,000. This is undoubtedly a testament to the fact that this is a fierce and exciting matchup.
"This is a very important fight in my career," Zhang Weili said before the match. For both sides, this is just a match, but for the Chinese MMA (mixed martial arts), this fight means that the development of Chinese martial arts has matured, "This is a step forward. ”
Yan Xiaonan is the first Chinese woman to sign with the UFC, and Zhang Weili is the first UFC world champion in China and even Asia.
At the press conference before the match, Zhang Weili said that she has great respect for Yan Xiaonan, she is very strong, "I have strong willpower, big heart, and excellent physical fitness, I admire her." Yan Xiaonan said: "I think we will be a threat to each other. ”
Over the years, there have only been a handful of Chinese female fighters who have entered the UFC competition, and Zhang Weili is the loudest "sign" among them, but "Lonely Warrior" Yan Xiaonan has good strength, and since entering the Octagon Cage, her competition results have always been impressive.
This pair of opponents on the field cherish each other. They have similar starting points, different life trajectories, and with their own missions and dreams, they meet in the ring of the UFC, the highest sanctuary of mixed martial arts.
This is another important victory for Zhang Weili, and Yan Xiaonan, who lost, also let people see her strength.
Yan Xiaonan showed tenacious fighting spirit and tenacious perseverance, and carried Zhang Weili's naked choke. (Source: Migu Sports)
The historic Chinese derby between the two Chinese fighters in the UFC title fight is the best way to show China's power. For the Chinese MMA sport, this is a milestone battle.
"Lonely Warrior" Yan Xiaonan
"My dream is to win a championship, and that's every MMA fighter's dream. Yan Xiaonan never hides her thoughts, even in the trough period, her goal has never changed. She once said, "If you want to win and prove yourself, you don't just want to show others, you have worked hard for so long, you have to give yourself an explanation." ”
Born in 1989 in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, Yan Xiaonan began practicing sanda at the age of 15 and was one of the first athletes to come into contact with MMA (mixed martial arts) at Xi'an Sports School, where she learned about and fell in love with MMA, and was the first Chinese female athlete to sign with the UFC.
Before entering the octagonal cage, Yan Xiaonan, like Zhang Weili, was once one of the thousands of "North Drifters". After graduating from Xi'an Sports School as a national first-class athlete, she decided to go to Beijing to work. "When I was in the provincial sanda team, I was young, and my best result was the top eight in the country, and I saw many senior sisters with better results, such as winning the second place in the country, and finally retiring, going home to be a teacher, and if you want to be a coach, you have to find a relationship ......."
In Beijing, Yan Xiaonan has worked as a bodyguard, club coach, worked in a film and television company, and set up a stall. Before stepping onto the UFC circuit, she had many directions, and every step she took had its meaning, and those days were not the dark times before she was "famous", and during that time, she also had different harvests and happiness.
Yan Xiaonan returned to the arena in 2015, and an agent asked her if she wanted to go to the Philippines to play a game, and Yan Xiaonan agreed, "I can mainly take my mother on a trip, and I still have money to get, what a good thing, whether I win or not, it doesn't matter at that time." ”
In that match, Yan Xiaonan won very easily, and at that time she had an idea in her heart, "I think I am quite suitable for MMA." From there, she returned to the ring and has made it all the way to the present.
Yan Xiaonan Image source: UFC Ultimate Fighting Championship social media
Yan Xiaonan has a background in wrestling and Muay Thai, and his fighting style is to start the fight with a fierce punch and focus on preemptive strikes. On August 31, 2017, Yan Xiaonan signed with the UFC, as the younger sister of Zhang Tiequan, the first person in the Chinese UFC, after officially stepping into the octagonal cage, Yan Xiaonan has been considered a potential title challenger by the outside world.
In February 2020, in the UFC 284 Auckland match, Yan Xiaonan fought against the "Polish Second Sister" Karolina. In the third round, Yan Xiaonan won the match with an absolute advantage.
Yan's setback came in May 2021 when she challenged American star Carla Esparza, who lost by TKO. Yan Xiaonan was expected to compete for the title challenger, but she was removed from the challenger list and disqualified from the gold belt. Later, Yan Xiaonan suffered two consecutive defeats due to points loss to Muay Thai master Rodriguez, which once put her at a low point in her career.
In the days that followed, Yan Xiaonan went to the United States alone to train hard, lying on his back and trying his courage, and there were only training and preparation for countless days and nights, and there were no other activities. Among Chinese MMA fighters, she is almost the one who has spent the longest time overseas. During that period of time that was forgotten by the outside world, Yan Xiaonan did not give up.
On October 2, 2022, in the main event of UFC Fight Night, Yan Xiaonan battled "Jiu-Jitsu" Mackenzie Dunn for five rounds, won by referee decision, and returned to the top five in the world, thus returning to the list of candidates for the championship. After the game, Yan Xiaonan said, "I haven't been interviewed for a long time because I lost the first two games. I haven't been happier in over a year. ”
On May 7, 2023, in the UFC 288 match, Yan Xiaonan faced former UFC women's strawweight champion "Piledriver" Andrade, defeated "Fierce Rival" Andrade in just one round, knocked the opponent by TKO, became the first non-champion in the strawweight division to defeat Andrade, and qualified to challenge the current champion Zhang Weili.
As the first UFC women's strawweight champion in China and even Asia, Zhang Weili is known as the "Valkyrie" by the outside world, Yan Xiaonan knows the difficulty of this fight, whether it is technical or psychological, she has room for improvement.
Before the UFC 300 fight, during a training session, Yan Xiaonan's physical trainer Adams encouraged her, "If you want to win that belt, she won't give it up." ”
"Yes, I'm going to win the belt. In the past three months of retreat training, Yan Xiaonan has been conducting targeted training, and has improved physically, mentally and technically, "I will be the best version of myself." ”
Yan Xiaonan once said frankly in an interview, "There is no one who enters the octagon cage who does not want to win the championship, and he has already paid so much, and he has to continue to rush forward...... becoming a champion is Yan Xiaonan's goal, and it is also the unanimous goal of every MMA player.
In the UFC 300 match, the final result trend was also in line with pre-match expectations, and Zhang Weili showed more powerful ability. After winning this Chinese derby, it became possible for Zhang Weili, who dominates the strawweight division, to upgrade to the double. And Yan Xiaonan, who was defeated, also showed good competitiveness, just like she said before the game, "Don't forget your original intention, you have to always".
Zhang Weili: I've come a long way
In her pre-UFC 300 press conference, Zhang Weili recalled the eight years she had had just started with a 5-1 record and her career had just begun, "I was just a rookie and I didn't know much about the sport. But look at me now, I've come a long way. ”
It took Zhang Weili two years to go from Chinese MMA to the UFC arena and become the women's strawweight champion. But two years later, she lost her first title defense, and she had to give too much to regain her glory.
Over the years, Zhang Weili has been experiencing ups and downs of loss and recovery, and while improving her competition skills, her mood has also been growing and strong. Zhang Weili once admitted frankly that she has been "fighting the country" and does not feel that she is "guarding the country".
Zhang Weili Image Credit: UFC Ultimate Fighting Championship social media
On August 20, 2023, Zhang Weili rewrote the history of Chinese martial arts in her title defense against Brazil's Amanda Lemos. Looking at the match stats, it was undoubtedly a pressing victory. The victory at UFC 292 is not only an affirmation of Zhang Weili's personal ability, but also a recognition of her continuous hard work and perseverance.
From "China's Weili" to "the world's Weimei", how much sadness and pain there have been during this period, the outside world can only glimpse one or two in interviews or documentaries. This is a bumpy and rugged road, when embarking on this road, Zhang Weili has never regretted it, she is willing to just "go to the dark one way".
Becoming the "Valkyrie" of Chinese martial arts, Zhang Weili has "created an era that belongs to me".
UFC 300 has been hailed as a milestone in Chinese MMA sports, and Zhang Weili, as a "lighthouse", shines on her own and illuminates her peers.
Chinese martial arts has entered a new era
"Chinese martial arts have a long history. The journey of Chinese fighters in mixed martial arts is relatively short, but milestones are coming more and more often."
"I have seen first-hand the development of the sport in China. There are a lot of new gyms here, and a lot of young people are starting to get involved in different combat sports, such as sanda and wrestling. I really think MMA is growing very fast in China and has a bright future. ”
In the early summer of 2023, Yan Xiaonan said in an interview with The Paper: "I want to be a coach, I can have now, and I am grateful to the club that has been cultivating and supporting me." I have spent so much money, put in so much sweat, and learned all the skills I have learned when I train and compete abroad, and of course I want to go back to my country to teach younger players."
As the top event in the MMA (mixed martial arts) field, there have been many outstanding Chinese fighters on the UFC stage, such as Zhang Tiequan, Li Jingliang, Zhang Weili, Yan Xiaonan, and Song Yadong...... They are relying on their own efforts to "fight" a world.
MMA, as a more niche sports category that is more difficult to gain social support in China, is precisely due to the efforts of Zhang Tiequan, Li Jingliang, Zhang Weili, Yan Xiaonan and other people who love this sport, "removing layers of clouds and fog and appearing in front of more people".
I believe that the future of China's martial arts career will become more and more exciting.
After the UFC 300 fight, Zhang Weili said in an interview that Yan Xiaonan is a very tenacious fighter with a very strong desire to win, and hopes that after this fight, the two will become good friends.
Yan Xiaonan said before the game, "No matter who wins or loses, the champion and runner-up are all our China." ”
"Ambition is ambition, ambition is ambition", Yan Xiaonan often faces criticism on the road to success, but she has a strong heart, stabilizes her pace in the gossip, and "beats" her own fame with one punch.
For Zhang Weili, behind every glamour, there are invisible blood and tears. For Yan Xiaonan, every time he falls, he may not be able to get up. The future is undecided, and those who dare to fight are dark horses.
Yan Xiaonan's future is also worth looking forward to.
Author丨Zhuo Yizi, Shenzhen Satellite TV direct news editor
Typesetting丨Pan Siyi, Shenzhen Satellite TV direct news editor