THUG ROSE IS BACK. Namajunas boxed well in the opening minute and stung Zhang with a stiff jab. Weili Zhang’s most recent fight … Weili left her native China and ended up heading to Bangkok, Thailand, and a pit stop in Abu Dhabi before finally arriving in Las Vegas a week later for her fight. If Rose Namajunas turns out to be Zhang’s opponent for an Asia fight, that would be Namajunas’ first time competing there. The whole experience taught me that everything can be solved if you have patience. Weili hears the noise but isn't interested in such talk. Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk fought one of the most brutal but exciting fights in women's MMA history. The early prelims kick off at 6 p.m. Despite the protest of the UFC's first Chinese-born champion, Namajunas' left kick appeared to shake Zhang's consciousness before a trio of hammer strikes produced the stoppage. But I did see that kick landing in my mind leading up to this fight. Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. ET. I didn't treat it as a joke or a laughing matter. It was quite the journey for Zhang Weili heading into her first defense of the women's strawweight title against Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248 in March 2020. You can see photos, video, and post-fight commentary below. I didn't think that was going to be the finish, but that was one of many ways that I seen this fight going. A very serious challenge awaits the Lithuanian born fighter - on the 25th of April she faces the imposing Chinese fighter Zhang Weili and seeks to take back the strawweight title. The two-time champion also made sure to put to bed the negative reactions she received during fight week to anti-communism remarks regarding Zhang's native country. Weili left her native China and ended up heading to Bangkok, Thailand, and a pit stop in Abu Dhabi before finally arriving in Las Vegas a week later for her fight. As of November 23, 2020, she is ranked #3 in UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings. This was not what I planned to say," Zhang said through a translator. After openly contemplating retirement, "Thug" Rose returned last July to outlast Andrade in a bloody rematch via split decision. In a women’s strawweight title fight as the co-main event of UFC 261, Zhang Weili will take on Rose Namajunas Saturday night in Jacksonville, Florida. The struggle to make it back home was just as arduous as the war inside the Octagon, according to Weili, because of COVID-19, which had just started to run rampant across the world that made it extremely difficult to travel. Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Weili Zhang last fought at UFC 248, where she defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk in what was widely regarded as the greatest women's MMA fight of all time. She followed up with a feint that a leg kick of her own might be coming before lifting her lead left leg and catching Zhang on the side of the neck. (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC) Weili is the more accomplished fighter in this championship title fight, but do not count out “Thug” Namajunas on Saturday. TOO EASY. One of the key storylines heading into UFC 261 is that if Weili and women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko emerge victoriously, then a bout could occur between the two champions. Below, we analyze the UFC 261 Weili vs. Namajunas odds and … She is on a 20 fight win streak in her MMA career. Chris Weidman believes Israel Adesanya will be facing ‘a different Robert Whittaker’ but the American feels he has the tools to beat middleweight champ ahead of UFC 261 return. After the fight, she repeated phrase after longtime fiancee and coach Pat Barry played the role of hype man by telling her she's the greatest of all-time. She is unbeaten in UFC and she beat the former champion in her last fight. I'm focused on Rose.". As soon as she kinda turned over, I thought there was maybe a moment she could pop back up and wake back up again, but those hammer fists are just money and I knew it was over after that.". Free Fight: Zhang Weili vs Jessica Aguilar | UFC 261 That different version is due partly from having a year to prepare, and partly due to having her training largely in one location. Later in August, Zhang Weili went on to defeat Andrade to capture the title at UFC on ESPN+ 15. UFC president Dana White loves the idea, and Shevchenko told DAZN News that she's "open" for business. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with the prelims on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. Our newest UFC women's Strawweight star, Zhang Weili, has done MMA and kickboxing before UFC. 2:11 am ET, UFC 261 Highlights: Zhang Weili vs Rose Namajunas, UFC 261 takeaways: Usman closing in on GSP, Silva reacts to Weidman suffering broken leg, UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 fight card, info, Twitter reacts to Usman's thunderous knockout, Namajunas knocks out Zhang to regain title, Weidman suffers gruesome broken leg in loss to Hall, White: Covington next man up to face Usman at 170, Cormier gets into heated spat with Jake Paul in crowd, Namajunas breaks down in tears following win, Usman, Namajunas earn performance bonuses. Zhang (21-2), meanwhile, vehemently protested the stoppage of referee Keith Peterson and didn't let up during the post-fight interview. More than four months have passed since the last conversation between LRT.lt(Lithuanian State news organisation) and this time we have sat down to speak under significantly different conditions. Namajunas, who fights out of Denver, dropped Zhang in the center of the Octagon with a … It took Weili two days to get from China to Tallahassee and then drive to Jacksonville. The journey to UFC 261 wasn't as bad for Weili this time around. Weili Zhang via decision +160 Zhang certainly has the ability to finish a fight, and Rose Namajunas has been finished in the past. "Last time because of the pandemic, it took me more than a month before I could finally fly back to China," Weili told DAZN News through a translator. As Rose Namajunas and her team had echoed throughout fight week regarding just how great she can be when she's dialed in and at her very best, Saturday's UFC 261 co-main event was a scary representation of what she's capable of. Weili Zhang and Valentina Shevchenko will both be in action at UFC 261 in Jacksonville Credit: UFC "This training camp we did in Las Vegas. The victory concluded an emotional journey for Namajunas, which began with a violent 2019 loss to Jessica Andrade to end her first title reign after Namajunas was slammed on her head and knocked out. Her last fight came in March of 2020 against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and she was able to come away with the split decision victory. "All that stuff that was in the media, that was not my intent to personally attack her as a person," Namajunas said. Namajunas said. I really just had to have faith in [God] and that's what got me through.". "I'm not thinking about Valentina or anything like that. Strawweight champion Zhang Weili looks to defend her title against former champion Rose Namajunas in the co-main event at UFC 261 on Saturday, April 24. Despite the tough road to get to UFC 248, it didn't affect the first Chinese UFC champion as she won a bloody and gruesome battle against Jedrzejczyk in arguably the 2020 "Fight of the Year" to successfully defend the belt for the first time. That said, it seems unlikely that this fight sees a stoppage. All Rights Reserved. Namajunas (10-4) captured the UFC women's strawweight title for the second time by delivering a lead-leg head kick to floor Weili Zhang before finishing her off just 78 seconds into Round 1 inside VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. "But it was an experience of a lifetime. She has lost just one of her 22 professional fights. Zhang, 31, entered the Octagon for the first time in 13 months since edging former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a brutal five-round thriller. Credit... Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times In a women’s strawweight title bout on Saturday’s main card, Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas meet at UFC 261 at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. “Magnum” Weili is also ranked third in the women’s pound-for-pound rankings. ET with the main card on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. "I did it again. DAZN uses cookies to help us deliver our services and improve your user experience. "Right now, I'm just focused on the fight on Saturday, Weili said bluntly. "I am the best!" CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: mma | pageType: stories | Zhang Weili training in Beijing last month. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. SHENZHEN, CHINA – AUGUST 31: Zhang Weili of China celebrates after her knockout victory over Jessica Andrade of Brazil in their UFC strawweight championship bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre on August 31, 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Zhang and Jedrzejczyk hit each other so hard they looked disfigured before the fight had even finished. UFC 261 is stacked with three title fights on the night. "So when I landed in China, I had quarantine for two weeks in the hotel. It was quite the journey for Zhang Weili heading into her first defense of the women's strawweight title against Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248 in March 2020. Zhang (21-2), meanwhile, vehemently protested the stoppage of referee Keith Peterson and didn't let up during the post-fight interview. Namajunas nervously voiced "I'm the best" to herself in repetition during Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer's pre-fight introductions. Weili Zhang breaking news and and highlights for UFC 261 fight vs. Rose Namajunas, with official Sherdog mixed martial arts stats, photos, videos, and more for the Strawweight fighter from China. When I finally came home, I saw a lot of people wearing the shirt 'Welcome Back'. It was clear in the early going against Namajunas that Zhang's plan was to slow down her lateral movement by constantly working inside calf kicks. "I feel I can come back real quick. UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili (left) and Rose Namajunas face off during the UFC 261 press conference at VyStar Veterans Memorial … She was the former Kunlun Fight (KLF) strawweight champion and currently competes in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current UFC Women's Strawweight World Champion. Click “Agree” to accept our use of cookies or you can choose to opt out of our use of cookies by following the instructions in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Notice. You could see that she was a fireball,’ says Vincent Soberano, one of the first MMA coaches in China. "I didn't like the fact that the journey back home would be that difficult because when I was flying during those day, there was a lot of stuff going on, Weili said. section: | slug: ufc-261-results-highlights-rose-namajunas-stuns-weili-zhang-with-first-round-knockout-to-regain-title | sport: mma | route: article_single.us | ‘I told the other fighters Zhang Weili is going to be the one. Weili is averaging 6.38 significant strikes per minute while absorbing 4.43 significant strikes per minute. 6-keys: media/spln/mma/reg/free/stories, at "A little over one year later, Weili returns to the United States to face former 115-pound champion Rose Namajunas at Saturday's UFC 261 from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Fighter Fighting Style Height Weight; Zhang Weili: Striker: 5' 4" 115 lbs: Rose Namajunas: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: 5' 5" 115 lbs Zhang (21-2) sees a 21-fight win streak snapped, going back to 2014. She is the first ever Chinese and East Asian champion in UFC history. The co-main event is going to be a heated contest between Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas, as the two women fight … "I felt really good, I was calm, I had to control myself and control my breathing and stay calm, she kinda touched me with the low kicks and she hit a nice little jab, but I just stayed calm, I don't know how to explain it I guess," Namajunas said. © 2004-2021 CBS Interactive. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news, including instant analysis of UFC 261 below. "I saw her body fall over really stiff and I was like, oh dang that definitely worked a lot better than I thought it was going to. It … (Photo by Brandon Magnus/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC) Zhang Weili (21-1), the UFC's first Chinese-born champ, puts her strawweight belt on the line against former titleholder Rose Namajunas (10-4). "Magnum" Zhang Weili is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist and the UFC strawweight champion. Weili Zhang vs. Rose Namajunas full fight preview: Head-to-toe women’s Strawweight bout breakdown for UFC 261 pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event match this … She is also averaging 1.26 takedowns every 15 minutes but she is only successful on 23 percent of her attempts. Get the latest UFC breaking news, fight … Twitter reacts to Usman sleeping Masvidal with second-round KO, Rose Namajunas knocks out Zhang Weili to regain the women's strawweight title, Chris Weidman suffers gruesome leg injury at UFC 261, Jake Paul, Daniel Cormier get into confrontation at UFC 261. The stunning result produced wildly different reactions from both fighters as Namajunas, 28, fell to her knees in tears of joy. On the other hand, Rose Namajunas fought Jessica Andrade in her last fight after a long hiatus from the sport. The women's strawweight champion had a trip to remember after her last fight. Prior to UFC 248, with COVID restrictions complicating matters, Zhang was forced to move her camp from China to Thailand to Dubai en route to the fight night in Las Vegas. The 31-year-old Weili walks into this weekend’s event with a professional fighting record of 21-1, and is the champion of the women’s strawweight class. Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas face off during the UFC 261 press conference Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC The co-main event of UFC 261 will feature a women’s strawweight title fight … It made me mentally more stronger. Zhang Weili (Chinese: 张伟丽; pinyin: Zhāng Wěilì; born August 13, 1989) is a Chinese mixed martial artist. The reigning strawweight champion can either come forward aggressively behind a high guard or counter competently while staying light on her feet, all while using feints to open up kicks and hooking combinations. Joanna Jedrzejczyk is ready to resume her career and she’s already told the UFC that she wants the winner of the upcoming fight between Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas "Last time, we came to Florida two weeks before the fight. It all went down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The strawweight champion, Zhang Weili is the favorite going into the fight, and rightfully so. #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/oBHQTJWykt, https://t.co/WAqFhXbaJl pic.twitter.com/j05DGjCdm5. In Namajunas’ last five fights, she has won four of them and has gone over her fantasy point average three times. Though listed as a fighter who hails from a wushu sanda background, Zhang Weili might as well have been built in a lab given all the skills she possesses as a fighter. "I feel I can come back real quick. "That is just my history and my past, and that's it.". The referee stoppage was a little bit early.". "I am still conscious. The 28-year-old mixed martial artist is averaging 76.7 Fantasy Points Per Fight over her career. SHENZHEN, CHINA – AUGUST 31: Zhang Weili of China celebrates after her knockout victory over Jessica Andrade of Brazil in their UFC strawweight championship bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre on August 31, 2019, in Shenzhen, China. After she knocked out Zhang Weili with a high kick to the head to become the first woman in UFC history to regain a championship, she looked at … Kamaru Usman, Weili Zhang heavy UFC 261 favorites Reuters / 04:25 PM April 24, 2021 FILE PHOTO: Mar 2, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Weili Zhang (blue … Disfigured before the fight latest in the women 's MMA history laughing matter Shevchenko... Title fight, and rightfully so only successful on 23 percent of her.! 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