UFC 268: Weili Zhang’s Resurgence

Las Vegas-March 8th, 2020: On the eve of international women’s day, the mixed martial arts world witnessed two combatants produce magic in the form of the greatest female fight the world has ever seen.

It was an all-out shootout between the most decorated strawweight fighter in history, Joanna Jedzejczyk and the pride of China, the fierce Weili Zhang.

Could it have been a coincidence for them to transcend female MMA on the eve of international women’s day? Maybe. Or maybe it just so happened to be a night where an all-time great was born.

Even though Zhang fell short against the surging Rose Namajunas in the sunshine state, be wise and don’t count out the former champion just yet as she attempts to reclaim what was once hers this Saturday at UFC 268.

Unquestionably, becoming a UFC champion is one of the most challenging things to achieve, but it’s far from impossible. However, for an individual to change the perspective of an entire nation, 1.4 Billion people, to be more specific, is the closest thing to impossible.

Weili Zhang did that with a formula consisting of respect, hard work, a pure heart, and a beautiful, contagious smile that captured hearts worldwide.

Prior to Zhang’s swift rise to strawweight supremacy, she stumbled on her first step in the professional ranks, losing her mixed martial arts debut.

It’s impossible to understand what fighters go through. A daily trip of an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least, filled with self-doubt, constant stress while someone is trying to take your head off every single day, literally.

So for someone striving for gold and glory, losing your debut can be a fatal shot to your confidence. However, the pride of China showed that she was indeed born for greatness, and there was no one stopping her resurgence. And just like that, Zhang went on an 8 year, 21 fight win streak.

On the undercard of UFC 227, Weili made her promotional U.S debut in the city of angles. And while you only get one shot to make a first impression, China’s powerhouse needed not more than fifteen minutes to attach her name with the word dominance in the fight game’s brackets.

Following her three dominant outings, Zhang secured herself a championship setting in her homeland with ten thousand screaming fans giving her a heroic welcome that is desired by every combat athlete.

With as many style points as she could have produced, 42 seconds was all it took for the pride of China to dismantle the feared knockout artist, Jessica Andrade, thirteen months into her UFC run. Incredible.

Just when you thought that no more style points were achievable, China’s Weili Zhang’s first title defence unfolded into the greatest female fight of all time, if not the greatest fight of all time, regardless of gender.

Weili’s second title defence took place in the sunshine state. It was a night that certainly didn’t lack any jaw-dropping moments. The pride of China came out looking sharper than ever, flowing, fainting, and most importantly, landing. However, a sneaky kick landed by Rose Namajunas from almost a clinch range snapped Zhang’s legendary 21 fight win streak.

History shows, this sport is the purest, but unfortunately, the most ruthless. What goes up must come down at some point. That’s just how the game works.

While you can be as prepared as ever, a split second, just like a blow of wind, can scatter an entire deck of cards in the form of lifetime work. It’s just inevitable. However, the trick is in what happens after. How you react to the situation is everything.

Losses and lessons are inevitable trials that every individual must encounter, but most importantly, they should be viewed as a trade-off for growth. No one reached their desired destination in life without having to endure the suffering and agony of defeat.

And although dark times might cloud your purpose and vision, just make it through, weather the storm, and the world is yours. So, be wise, and don’t count out Weili Zhang just yet. She’s only warming up. And it all starts this Saturday.