What lies behind Zhang Weili’s global pulling power and wide appeal? The Post finds out.
Zhang Weili is a pioneering figure in Chinese MMA and competes in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
She is the first UFC female world champion from China and Asia.
Born in Handan, Hebei province, northern China, Zhang started learning martial arts at the age of 6 and later practised Sanda and boxing. She then clinched the Hebei Provincial Youth Sanda Championship.
However, severe injuries forced her to reconsider her career, leading her to various jobs in Beijing – from kindergarten teacher to working as a hotel receptionist and a bodyguard.
Her passion for martial arts never waned and she later returned to the fight game.
In 2019, during UFC Fight Night 157 in Shenzhen, she defeated the reigning champion, Brazilian Jéssica Andrade, and claimed the UFC Strawweight World Championship, becoming the first fighter from China and Asia to win the title.
In March 2020, at UFC248 in Las Vegas, she successfully defended her title against Polish challenger, former strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk, further establishing her dominance in the sport.
The UFC 300, held on April 13 in Las Vegas, marked a first in the contest’s history with a title bout between two fighters from China.
Zhang faced Yan, a formidable opponent. Both aged 34, each has a record of eight victories in the UFC.
This is more than just a fight; for Chinese MMA, it’s a step onto a new stage
Zhang’s superior ground work ultimately led her to victory, enabling her to successfully defend her title once more.
“This is more than just a fight. For Chinese MMA, it is a step onto a new stage. I earned my championship step by step through hard work, and Xiaonan’s journey here wasn’t easy either,” said Zhang.
“Without resilience and persistence, neither of us would have reached this point. I believe this match will inspire more people to join this sport.”
Zhang’s discipline and dedication to her sport have not only earned her respect from her peers, they also attracted celebrities to the UFC 300 fight, including Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.
However, in a live-streaming session on the evening of April 16, Zhang said she intentionally avoided greeting Zuckerberg before the match, to maintain her focus.
“Before the match, Zuckerberg came to greet everyone. A staff member said he wanted to greet me, but I said I could not. Not now. I need to focus on the match. I turned my head away when he passed by the outer room where I was lying down, to avoid distraction,” Zhang said.
Afterwards, they had a friendly conversation.
Her revelation drew playful comments from Chinese people online.
“Zuckerberg might think he could beat Elon Musk if he trained with Zhang Weili,” one person joked.
“Did Zhang Weili suggest Zuckerberg should go to the Shaolin Temple?” quipped another.
