Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili | |
---|---|
![]() Zhang in 2022 | |
Born | Handan, Hebei, China[1] | August 13, 1989
Native name | 张伟丽 |
Other names | Magnum |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
Weight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st) |
Division | Strawweight (2013–present) Flyweight (2016) |
Reach | 63 in (160 cm)[2] |
Style | Sanda, Kickboxing, Muay Thai, Shuai Jiao, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
Fighting out of | Beijing, China |
Team | Black Tiger Fight Club Fight Ready[3] Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA[4][5] |
Trainer | |
Rank | Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Pedro Jordão[7] |
Years active | 2013–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 28 |
Wins | 25 |
By knockout | 11 |
By submission | 8 |
By decision | 6 |
Losses | 3 |
By knockout | 1 |
By decision | 2 |
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog |
Zhang Weili (Chinese: 张伟丽; pinyin: Zhāng Wěilì; born August 13, 1989) is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current and two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. A professional competitor since 2013, Zhang formerly competed for Kunlun Fight (KLF), where she was the KLF Women's Strawweight Champion. As of September 5, 2023, she is #2 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.[9]
Background
[edit]Zhang was born in Handan, Hebei, China. Her father is a retired miner, and her mother is a housewife. She has one older brother, who quit his job as a gold trader to support Zhang's career, and now works at the gym where she trains.[10]
She started training in martial arts at a young age, beginning at 6 with Shaolin Kung Fu under the tutelage of a local master, after she was inspired by Kung Fu films.[11][10][12] In primary school, she practiced many sports including athletics, football and table tennis. When she was 12, her parents sent her to a specialized martial arts school in Handan where she began training in Sanda and a Chinese style of wrestling called Shuai jiao.[13] After winning Sanda championships of the Hebei province multiple times, she was selected for the Jiangsu province Sanda team, however a recurring back injury sustained in training forced her to quit the sport early.[14]
At the age of 17 she moved to Beijing, where she worked various odd jobs: cashier at a supermarket, kindergarten teacher, security guard and hotel desk clerk.[13][14] In 2010 she found a job at a local Beijing gym as a fitness instructor, and was allowed to use their equipment for free after the gym closed in the evenings. During that time she would also pick up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, after watching others grappling there. She later switched to a front desk job, through which she got to know fighters who trained at the gym, one of them being her idol Wu Haotian, a pioneer of Chinese MMA. After they became acquainted in 2012, Haotian brought her to Black Tiger Fight Club. There, she was noticed by coach Cai Xuejun, who recognized her potential and started training her in MMA.[6][15][12]
In a Chinese television show in December 2019, she mentioned that Hong Kong Action Superstar Donnie Yen was her inspiration to compete in MMA, and that Donnie Yen's 2007 feature film Flashpoint was her first introduction to the sport of MMA.[16] She also credited Ronda Rousey, and particularly her fight with Liz Carmouche in 2013, as giving her the motivation to quit her job and pursue MMA full-time.[17]
Mixed martial arts career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Zhang made her professional MMA debut in 2013. After losing her professional debut to Meng Bo by unanimous decision, she would go on to win 11 straight fights before challenging Simone Duarte for the Kunlun Fight Female Strawweight Championship on May 25, 2017, at Kunlun Fight MMA 11.[18] She won the fight via TKO in the second round.[19]
Zhang made her first title defense against Aline Sattelmayer on June 1, 2017, at Kunlun Fight MMA 12. She won the fight by unanimous decision.[20]
On July 22, 2017, Zhang attempted to win a second title, when she challenged Seo Ye-dam (서예담) for the vacant Top FC Strawweight Championship at TOP FC 15. She won the fight via TKO in the second round to capture the title.[18]
In her next bout, Zhang made her second KLF title defense on August 28, 2017, at Kunlun Fight MMA 14 against Marilia Santos. She won the fight via TKO in the second round.[21]
Zhang would fight one more time for KLF, amassing a record of 16–1 and improving her winning streak to 16 before signing with the UFC.[18]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
[edit]Zhang made her promotion debut on August 4, 2018, at UFC 227 against Danielle Taylor.[22] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[23]
On November 24, 2018, Zhang faced Jessica Aguilar at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2.[24] She won the fight via a submission in round one.[25]
Zhang faced Tecia Torres on March 3, 2019, at UFC 235.[26] She won the fight via unanimous decision.[27]
UFC Strawweight Champion
[edit]Zhang faced Jéssica Andrade for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on August 31, 2019, at UFC Fight Night 157.[28] She won the fight via first-round technical knockout to become the new strawweight champion, and the first UFC champion from China.[29][30] The win also earned Zhang her first Performance of the Night bonus award.[31]
In the first defense of her title, Zhang faced former strawweight champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk on March 7, 2020, at UFC 248.[32] Zhang moved her training camp from China to Thailand and later moved to Dubai due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[33] as TSA rules stated a two-week quarantine was imposed for any non-US citizen to be granted entry to the United States if they had recently been in China.[34] After multiple failed attempts to obtain a US visa to fight in UFC's events in the US,[35] on February 19, 2020, Zhang was granted US visa to fight at UFC 248.[36] Zhang won the back–and–forth fight via split decision, which marked her first successful title defense.[37] This win also marked her first Fight of the Night award.[38] This bout was considered by many pundits as the greatest fight in women's MMA history.[39][40][41]
In the second defense of her title, Zhang faced former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261.[42] She lost the fight by knockout early in the first round after getting caught with a head kick.[43]
Post title reign and second title shot
[edit]A rematch between Zhang and Namajunas for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship took place on November 6, 2021, at UFC 268.[44] After a back and forth bout, Weili lost the fight via split decision.[45] 14 out of 22 media scores gave it to Namajunas.[46]
A rematch between Zhang and Joanna Jędrzejczyk took place on June 11, 2022, at UFC 275.[47] For this fight Zhang trained at Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA gym in Thailand and worked with Josh Hinger.[4] Zhang won the fight via knockout with a spinning backfist in the second round.[4][48][7] This win earned her the Performance of the Night award[49] and the Crypto.com "Fan Bonus of the Night" awards paid in bitcoin of US$10,000 for third place.[50]
Zhang faced reigning champion Carla Esparza for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281.[51] Zhang won the bout and regained the championship by the way of a rear-naked choke submission in the second round.[7][52] This win earned her the Performance of the Night award.[53] Zhang was promoted to brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu following her win.[7]
Zhang next defended her title against Amanda Lemos on August 19, 2023, at UFC 292.[54] She defeated Lemos via unanimous decision after a dominant performance, with Zhang out striking Lemos 296-29, the largest differential for a women's fight in UFC history.[55] The emphatic win also earned Zhang her fourth Performance of the Night award.[56]
Zhang faced Yan Xiaonan on April 13, 2024, at UFC 300.[57] She won the bout by unanimous decision.[58]
Other ventures
[edit]In May 2020, it was announced that Zhang became a brand ambassador for cosmetics brand Estée Lauder in China, and was chosen as a face of their new makeup line Double Wear.[59][60][61] In the same year, she appeared in a commercial for Audi.[62] In 2021, she was named a global ambassador for recovery technology company Hyperice.[63] She also had endorsement deals with clothing brands Under Armour and Heilan Home, e-commerce company JingDong and alcoholic beverage company Wusu Beer.[64][65]
Championships and accomplishments
[edit]Mixed martial arts
[edit]- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Women's Strawweight Championship (Two times, Current)[29]
- Three successful title defenses (Overall)
- One successful title defense (First reign)
- Two successful title defenses (Second reign)
- Second most title fight wins in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (5)[66]
- First ever Chinese champion in UFC history
- Three successful title defenses (Overall)
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 1[38]
- UFC Honors 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 1[67]
- UFC.com 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 1[68]
- Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Jéssica Andrade, Joanna Jędrzejczyk 2, Carla Esparza & Amanda Lemos[31][49][53][56]
- UFC Honors 2022 Performance of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 2[69]
- 2022 Half-Year Awards: Best Knockout of the 1HY vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 2[70]
- Tied (Angela Hill) for fourth most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (5)[66]
- Largest striking differential in a bout in UFC Women's history (288:21) (vs. Amanda Lemos)[71]
- Most significant ground strikes landed in a UFC Women's Strawweight bout (96) (vs. Amanda Lemos)[72]
- Most total ground strikes landed in a UFC Women's Strawweight bout (225) (vs. Amanda Lemos)[72]
- Most total strikes landed in a UFC Women's Strawweight bout (296) (vs. Amanda Lemos)[72]
- Third most top control time in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (41:04)[66]
- Tied (Angela Hill) for fourth most knockdowns in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (3)[66]
- Third highest significant strike accuracy in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (53.5%)[66]
- Third highest striking differential in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (2.51)[66]
- Tied (Tatiana Suarez) for fourth most takedowns landed in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (25)[66]
- Sixth most significant strikes landed in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (844)[66]
- Fifth most strikes landed in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (1320)[66]
- Fifth most strikes landed-per-minute in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (5.66)[66]
- UFC Women's Strawweight Championship (Two times, Current)[29]
- Kunlun Fight
- KLF Female Strawweight Champion (One time)[19]
- Top Fighting Championship
- Top FC Strawweight Champion (One time)
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2020 March Fight of the Month vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[73]
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[74]
- 2022 June Knockout of the Month vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[75]
- 2022 November submission of the Month vs. Carla Esparza[76]
- 2022 Female Fighter of the Year[77]
- 2022 Comeback Fighter of the Year[78]
- World MMA Awards
- 2019 – July 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248[79]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 2020 MMA Match of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[80]
- Women's MMA MVP (2022)[81]
- MMA Fighting
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[82]
- The Athletic
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[83]
- Bleacher Report
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[84]
- Cageside Press
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[85]
- 2022 Female Fighter of the Year[86]
- Sherdog
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[87]
- BT Sport
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[88]
- 2022 Female Fighter of the Year[89]
- MMA Weekly
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[90]
- Combat Press
- 2020 Fight of the Year vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk[91]
- ESPN
- 2022 Female Fighter of the Year[92]
Mixed martial arts record
[edit]28 matches | 25 wins | 3 losses |
By knockout | 11 | 1 |
By submission | 8 | 0 |
By decision | 6 | 2 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 25–3 | Yan Xiaonan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 24–3 | Amanda Lemos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 292 | August 19, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
Win | 23–3 | Carla Esparza | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 281 | November 12, 2022 | 2 | 1:05 | New York City, New York, United States | Won the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
Win | 22–3 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | KO (spinning backfist) | UFC 275 | June 12, 2022 | 2 | 2:28 | Kallang, Singapore | Performance of the Night. |
Loss | 21–3 | Rose Namajunas | Decision (split) | UFC 268 | November 6, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Loss | 21–2 | Rose Namajunas | KO (head kick) | UFC 261 | April 24, 2021 | 1 | 1:18 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Lost the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 21–1 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | Decision (split) | UFC 248 | March 7, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
Win | 20–1 | Jéssica Andrade | TKO (knees and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang | August 31, 2019 | 1 | 0:42 | Shenzhen, China | Won the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
Win | 19–1 | Tecia Torres | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 235 | March 2, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 18–1 | Jessica Aguilar | Submission (armbar) | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 | November 24, 2018 | 1 | 3:41 | Beijing, China | |
Win | 17–1 | Danielle Taylor | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 227 | August 4, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
Win | 16–1 | Bianca Sattelmayer | Submission (armbar) | Kunlun Fight MMA 15 | October 3, 2017 | 1 | 3:29 | Seoul, South Korea | Catchweight (119 lb) bout. |
Win | 15–1 | Marilia Santos | TKO (elbows) | Kunlun Fight MMA 14 | August 28, 2017 | 2 | 3:20 | Yantai, China | Defended the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 14–1 | Seo Ye-dam | TKO (elbow and punches) | Top FC 15 | July 22, 2017 | 2 | 1:35 | Seoul, South Korea | Won the vacant Top FC Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 13–1 | Aline Sattelmayer | Decision (unanimous) | Kunlun Fight MMA 12 | June 1, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Yantai, China | Defended the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 12–1 | Simone Duarte | TKO (punches) | Kunlun Fight MMA 11 | May 25, 2017 | 1 | 2:29 | Jining, China | Won the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 11–1 | Nayara Hemily | Submission (guillotine choke) | Kunlun Fight MMA 9 | February 25, 2017 | 1 | 0:41 | Sanya, China | |
Win | 10–1 | Veronica Grenno | TKO (knees to the body) | Kunlun Fight MMA 8 | January 2, 2017 | 1 | 1:50 | Sanya, China | |
Win | 9–1 | Karla Benitez | KO (punch) | Kunlun Fight MMA 7 | December 15, 2016 | 1 | 2:15 | Beijing, China | Defended the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 8–1 | Maíra Mazar | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Kunlun Fight 53 | September 24, 2016 | 1 | 4:11 | Beijing, China | Won the vacant Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 7–1 | Emi Fujino | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Kunlun Fight 49 | August 7, 2016 | 2 | 2:51 | Tokyo, Japan | Return to Strawweight. |
Win | 6–1 | Liliya Kazak | KO (head kick) | Kunlun Fight 47 | July 10, 2016 | 2 | 4:13 | Nanjing, China | |
Win | 5–1 | Alice Ardelean | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Kunlun Fight MMA 5 / Top FC 11 | May 22, 2016 | 2 | 4:41 | Seoul, South Korea | Flyweight debut. |
Win | 4–1 | Svetlana Gotsyk | TKO (punches) | Kunlun Fight 38 / Super Muaythai 2016 | February 21, 2016 | 2 | 2:29 | Pattaya, Thailand | |
Win | 3–1 | Samantha Jean-Francois | TKO (punches) | Kunlun Fight 35 | December 19, 2015 | 1 | 3:37 | Luoyang, China | |
Win | 2–1 | Mei Huang | Submission (rear-naked choke) | CKF 10/27 | October 27, 2014 | 1 | 0:40 | Qian'an, China | Catchweight (132 lb) bout. |
Win | 1–1 | Shuxia Wu | Submission (armbar) | CKF 10/14 | October 14, 2014 | 1 | 1:56 | Qian'an, China | Catchweight (132 lb) bout. |
Loss | 0–1 | Meng Bo | Decision (unanimous) | China MMA League | November 9, 2013 | 2 | 5:00 | Xuchang, China | Strawweight debut. |
Kickboxing record
[edit]2 Wins (0 KOs), 2 Losses, 0 Draws | ||||||||
Date | Result | Opponent | Event | Location | Method | Round | Time | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2017-12-17 | Loss | ![]() |
Kunlun Fight 68 | Zunyi, China | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
KLF Female 52.5 kg Tournament Final.[93] | ||||||||
2017-12-17 | Win | ![]() |
Kunlun Fight 68 | Zunyi, China | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
KLF Female 52.5 kg Tournament Semi-Finals. | ||||||||
2017-12-17 | Win | ![]() |
Kunlun Fight 68 | Zunyi, China | Decision | 3 | 3:00 | |
KLF Female 52.5 kg Tournament Quafter-Finals. | ||||||||
2013-12-14 | Loss | ![]() |
Krush 35 | Tokyo, Japan | Decision (Unanimous) | 3 | 3:00 | |
Legend: Win Loss Draw/No contest Notes |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Zhang Weili | UFC". UFC.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ "Weili Zhang | UFC". www.ufc.com. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ "Eddie Cha: Ex-UFC champs Zhang Weili, Deiveson Figueiredo thriving with Fight Ready MMA". MMA Junkie. 15 October 2021.
- ^ a b c "UFC 275: Zhang 'turned down' 5-round rematch, claims Jedrzejczyk". South China Morning Post. 10 May 2022.
- ^ "UFC: Zhang Weili already back training at Bangtao as she bids for belt". South China Morning Post. 16 June 2022.
- ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE | Weili Zhang: Remember the name". www.bjpenn.com. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ a b c d e Burne, Kathrine (2 January 2023). "UFC World Champion Zhang Weili Promoted To BJJ Brown Belt". Jitsmagazine.com.
- ^ "Unlocking Optimal Performance and Recovery with Coach Chong Xie's Fascia-Centric Method". The Kerplunk. 27 March 2023.
- ^ "UFC Rankings, Division Rankings, P4P rankings, UFC Champions | UFC.com". www.ufc.com. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ a b "Five (Of the many) things you didn't know about the UFC's Zhang Weili". 28 August 2019.
- ^ "A Zhang Weili interview on Youtube". Mu Shin Martial Culture. 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
- ^ a b "人物|张伟丽:走上国际赛场的"格斗女孩"_河北新闻网" (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2019-04-04.
- ^ a b "Zhang Weili's long and difficult road to MMA stardom". China Daily. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-03-16.
- ^ a b Qin, Amy; Chien, Amy Chang (23 April 2021). "China's Top Mixed Martial Arts Star Isn't Fighting for a Cause". The New York Times.
- ^ "Interview: Kang Kyung Ho, Zhang Weili talk about fighting at UFC 227". MMA India. 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ "China Variety TV Show - Roast! with Zhang Weili and Donnie Yen". Youtube. 2019-12-10. Retrieved 2019-03-09.
- ^ "UFC 248: Zhang Weili credits Ronda Rousey with MMA career motivation". Mmajunkie.usatoday.com. 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2023-01-14.
- ^ a b c d e "Weili Zhang". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ a b "Kunlun Fight MMA 11 Results". www.fight-madness.com (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ a b Aittama, Zach. "Kunlun Fight MMA 12 Results". Combat Press. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ a b "张伟丽险被KO,遭对手连续重拳击中鼻血染红脸颊". www.sohu.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "Here are 4 new bouts added to UFC 227 at Staples Center". Press Enterprise. 2018-05-08. Archived from the original on 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ^ "UFC 227 results: Weili Zhang wins 17th straight, outpoints gritty Danielle Taylor". MMAjunkie. 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
- ^ "Jessica Aguilar to Face Weili Zhang at UFC Fight Night Beijing on Nov. 24". Sherdog. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ "UFC Fight Night 141 play-by-play and live results". MMAjunkie. 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
- ^ Doyle, Dave (2018-11-29). "Tecia Torres vs. Weili Zhang set for UFC 235". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2019-02-28.
- ^ "UFC 235 results: Weili Zhang shuts down Tecia Torres for 19th straight win". MMA Junkie. 2019-03-03. Retrieved 2019-03-03.
- ^ Marcel Dorff (2019-06-19). "Jessica Andrade defends title against Weili Zhang during UFC Shenzhen's Main Event". mmadna.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-07-25.
- ^ a b McClory, Mike (2019-08-31). "UFC Shenzhen Results: Weili Zhang Shocks With Quick TKO of Andrade, Becomes First Chinese UFC Champ". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
- ^ "Zhang Weili named China's first UFC champion after defeating Jessica Andrade in just 42 seconds". CNN. 31 August 2019. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ a b "UFC on ESPN+ 15 bonuses: Weili Zhang, Li Jingliang get no-brainer $50,000 checks". mmajunkie.com. 2019-08-03. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
- ^ Adam Hill (2019-12-13). "Strawweight champ Weili Zhang to fight at UFC 248 in Las Vegas". LasVegasReview-Journal.com. Retrieved 2019-12-14.
- ^ "Sources: Zhang leaves China over virus concerns". ESPN.com. 2020-02-06. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "'Now I can put my heart into this': Chinese UFC fighter Zhang Weili obtains US visa". South China Morning Post. 2020-02-18. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ Tabuena, Anton (2019-10-08). "UFC champ Weili Zhang's visa denied again, US presidential candidate offers help". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ Cruz, Guilherme (2020-02-19). "Zhang Weili granted U.S. visa, Yan Xiaonan lands in Auckland for UFC fight". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ^ "UFC 248 results: Zhang Weili defends title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in all-time classic". MMA Junkie. 2020-03-08. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
- ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (2020-03-08). "UFC 248 Bonuses! O'Malley Banks $50K For 'Prelims' TKO". MMAmania. Retrieved 2020-03-08.
- ^ Karri, Siri (8 March 2020). "Zhang Weili edges Joanna Jedrzejczyk in one of the greatest fights of all time". thebodylockmma.com. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ Lee, Alexander K. (2020-12-28). "MMA Fighting's 2020 Fight of the Year: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ "Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk steals the show at UFC 248". ESPN.com. 2020-03-23. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
- ^ Sport, El Intra (2021-02-28). "¡Es oficial! Rose Namajunas irá por el título de Zhang Weili en el UFC 261". El Intra Sports (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2021-04-27. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ Doherty, Dan (2021-04-24). "UFC 261 Results: Rose Namajunas Head Kicks, Upsets Weili Zhang". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-04-25.
- ^ "Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili 2 among latest additions to official UFC 268 card". MMA Junkie. 2021-08-29. Retrieved 2021-08-29.
- ^ Law, Eddie (2021-11-07). "UFC 268 Results: Rose Namajunas Retains Title, Beats Weili Zhang via Split Decision". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ "Rose Namajunas def. Weili Zhang :: UFC 268 :: MMA Decisions". www.mmadecisions.com. Archived from the original on 2022-06-28. Retrieved 2021-11-07.
- ^ "Weili Zhang rematches Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 275". Asian MMA. 2022-04-10. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-06-11). "UFC 275: Zhang Hits Spinning Back Fist KO, Jedrzejczyk Retires Following Thrilling Rematch". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ a b Chris Taylor (2022-06-12). "UFC 275 Bonus Report: Seven different fighters take home $50k". bjpenn.com. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2022-06-12). "UFC 275 Fan Bonuses: Valentina Shevchenko Gets Top Bonus Despite Nail-Biter". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ Martin, Damon (2022-08-18). "Carla Esparza to defend strawweight title against Zhang Weili at UFC 281". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2022-08-18.
- ^ Dewar, Val (2022-11-13). "UFC 281: Zhang Weili Impresses, Regains Title by Submitting Carla Esparza". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (2022-11-13). "UFC 281 bonuses: Poirier vs. Chandler capture FOTN honors". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ Cole, Ross (2023-05-18). "Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos Title Fight Serves As UFC 292 Co-Main Event". MMA Insight. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2023-08-20). "UFC 292: Weili Zhang Dominates Out-Matched Amanda Lemos, Retains Strawweight Title". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2023-08-20.
- ^ a b Dan Hiergesell (2023-08-19). "UFC 292 bonuses: Sean O'Malley banks $50K with stunning main event TKO". mmamania.com. Retrieved 2023-07-19.
- ^ Mike Bohn (2024-01-10). "UFC 300 adds Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan in all-China strawweight title fight". mmajunkie.usatoday.com. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (2024-04-14). "Yan Xiaonan Game, but Weili Zhang Too Much in UFC 300 Co-Headliner". Cageside Press. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ "From MMA fighters to gold medalists, beauty embraces strong female athletes". 13 July 2020.
- ^ "Estee Lauder names boxer Zhang Weili brand ambassador for China". June 2020.
- ^ "MMA Champ Zhang Weili is Estée Lauder's New Face in China". Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ "张伟丽:做更强大的自己,签约奥迪汽车巨额商业代言" (in Chinese).
- ^ "Hyperice Names Zhang Weili as Global Ambassador" (Press release).
- ^ "China Sports Business Weekly | 26th June".
- ^ "连签张伟丽、韩东君,安德玛的"文体两开花"能说服消费者吗?". jiemian.com (in Chinese). June 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "UFC Women's Strawweight Division - Stats". UFC. 2023-08-19.
- ^ "President's Choice". Ultimate Fighting Championship. 5 September 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2021.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (December 24, 2020). "The 2020 Awards: 10 Best Fights". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ J. Cunningham (2023-01-16). "Dana White's UFC 2022 President's Choice Award Winners Revealed". mmanews.com. Retrieved 2024-01-13.
- ^ Thomas Gerbasi (July 8, 2022). "The Knockouts - 2022 Half-Year Awards". Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- ^ "UFC 292 results, highlights: Zhang Weili dominates Amanda Lemos to retain strawweight title". cbssports.com. August 20, 2023. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ a b c "UFC - Women's Strawweight - Fight Stats". Ultimate Fighting Championship. January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ "MMA Junkie's 'Fight of the Month' for March: A title fight for the ages". mmajunkie.com. March 31, 2020.
- ^ "MMA Junkie's 2020 'Fight of the Year': Weili vs. Jedrzejczyk, the GOAT of women's fights". MMAjunkie.com. January 4, 2021.
- ^ Mike Bohn (June 30, 2022). "MMA Junkie's Knockout of the Month for June: A spinning backfist leads to a retirement". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ Mike Bohn (November 29, 2022). "MMA Junkie's Submission of the Month for November: A modified rear naked choke". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ Matthew Wells (December 21, 2022). "MMA Junkie's 2022 Female Fighter of the Year: Zhang Weili". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ Nolan King (January 4, 2023). "MMA Junkie's 2022 Comeback Fighter of the Year: Zhang Weili". MMAjunkie.com.
- ^ "Amanda Nunes, Israel Adesanya, Jorge Masvidal pace major winners at World MMA Awards". MMAjunkie.com. December 27, 2020.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave. "March 1, 2021, Wrestling Observer Newsletter 2020 awards issue, Elimination Chamber". Figure4Weekly. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
- ^ Meltzer, Dave (February 24, 2023). "February 27, 2023, Observer Newsletter: 2022 Observer Awards issue". Figure4Weekly. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ Alexander K. Lee (December 28, 2020). "MMA Fighting's 2020 Fight of the Year: Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk". mmafighting.com.
- ^ Shaheen Al-Shatti (December 23, 2020). "Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk: 2020 MMA Fight of the Year". The Athletic.
- ^ Tom Taylor (December 21, 2020). "Bleacher Report 2020 MMA Awards: Best Fight". Bleacher Report.
- ^ Staff (December 29, 2020). "MMA 2020 Year in Review: Fight of the Year". Cageside Press.
- ^ Staff (3 January 2022). "MMA 2022 Year in Review: Fighter of the Year". cagesidepress.com.
- ^ Tristen Critchfield (December 28, 2020). "Sherdog's 2020 Fight of the Year". Sherdog.
- ^ @btsportufc (December 28, 2020). "🏆 Fight of the Year - Weili Zhang v Joanna Jedrzejczyk" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ @btsportufc (December 29, 2022). "Female Fighter of the Year - Zhang Weili🏆" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "MMAWeekly's Best of 2020". mmaweekly.com. January 1, 2021.
- ^ "Combat Press 2020 MMA Awards: Fight of the Year Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk". combatpress.com. January 2021.
- ^ Brett Okamoto (2022-12-22). "MMA 2022 awards: The best fighter, finish, prospect and more". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
- ^ "Kunlun Fight 68 Fight Card: Heavyweight and Mulan Legend Tournaments - LiverKick". 28 November 2017.
External links
[edit]- 1989 births
- Chinese female kickboxers
- Chinese female mixed martial artists
- Chinese practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners
- Chinese sanshou practitioners
- Kunlun Fight kickboxers
- Kunlun Fight MMA Fighters
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Handan
- Strawweight mixed martial artists
- Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
- Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters
- Mixed martial artists utilizing sanshou
- Mixed martial artists utilizing kickboxing
- Mixed martial artists utilizing Shuai Jiao
- Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
- Kunlun Fight MMA champions