Weili
Zhang left no doubt in her second meeting with Joanna
Jedrzejczyk, finishing her Polish rival with a spinning back
fist in the second round of their
UFC 275 encounter.
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It was a far cry from their first bout, when the two strawweights
engaged in what many have called the greatest female fight of
all-time at UFC 248 in March 2020. Zhang, who was the 115-pound
champion at the time, emerged from that battle with a narrow
split-decision triumph. Jedrzejczyk announced her retirement in the
cage following the knockout loss to Zhang on Saturday night in
Singapore, ending an era in the division. Zhang had nothing but
praise for the Polish star in the aftermath of that decision.
“Before I became a UFC fighter, Joanna was the champion,” Zhang
said at the UFC 275 post-fight press conference. “She is like a
role model. I want to chase her [accomplishments] every day …”
Not only was Zhang’s latest triumph a strong contender for
“Knockout of the Year,” it also sets her up for a future showdown
with current strawweight queen Carla
Esparza. Zhang already has a location in mind for that
fight.
“I want [to] fight with Carla in Abu Dhabi because I know there’s a
fight there in October,” Zhang said. “I think Carla is a special
fighter, too, and I know that can be a really good fight. Also, for
me and for her – not China or the U.S. So we can fight in another
country, so it’s fair for both of us.”
While Esparza’s recent win over Rose
Namajunas wasn’t the most thrilling of performances, Zhang is
well aware of the challenges the new champion presents.
“I think there’s no weak fighter in the top rankings,” Zhang said.
“So if I’m fighting Carla, I need to improve my grappling, my BJJ,
my wrestling. There’s nothing I need to specially care for. I just
need to improve myself. MMA is over all sports, so I don’t think we
can have any disadvantage, so I want to be a well rounded
fighter.”