Weili Zhang: Two Time In Due Time

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, 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 happened to be a night when an all-time great classic was born. Zhang ran it back with Poland’s Jedzejcyk last June, and she scored a knockout for the ages.

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 all around the globe. I mean, throughout this entire fight week, the American champion have been getting showered with boos all week, while Zhang is receiving a heroic welcoming.

Preliminary 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 and 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 first UFC outings, Zhang secured 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 as 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. That’s what has led Zhang to this championship setting. So, how can she miss on Saturday?

You have to hand your flowers to the defending champion Carla Esparza. She really did earn it the hard way. However, stylistically, what element of threat does she have, really? Esparza has won six of her last seven fights by split decision, and she has never been a fighter with heavy top control, and if she can’t control Weili on the ground, she’s doomed. Don’t take my word for it; tune in Saturday to witness it all unfold.