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https://scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3151362/ufc-henry-cejudo-says-zhang-weili-ferrari-she Mixed Martial Arts
UFC: Henry Cejudo says ‘Zhang Weili is a ‘Ferrari’ but ‘she needed the right oil’
- Former UFC double champion and Olympic gold medallist has been working with Zhang on her wrestling after she moved her camp to Arizona
- ‘The only problem is, she needed those Ferrari engineers … she came out and she got it,’ says Cejudo ahead of Rose Namajunas rematch
Former UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili (right) poses for a photo with Henry Cejudo at his home in Arizona. Photo: Weibo/Zhang Weili
Henry Cejudo has insisted that Zhang Weili has all the right tools to beat Rose Namajunas – but she just needed some fine tuning.
The Chinese “Magnum” (21-2) will look to reclaim the strawweight title in November 6’s UFC 268 co-main event at Madison Square Garden, having suffered a shock first-round TKO when they met in April.
It was Zhang’s first defeat in the UFC – her first since losing her professional debut in 2013, in fact – and the 32-year-old has ripped up the script for the rematch, moving her camp from Beijing to Scottsdale, Arizona, where she is learning under the tutelage of former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champ Cejudo at Fight Ready.
“Zhang Weili, let me tell you something. Oh man, it’s been an experience,” Cejudo said on The Triple C and Schmo show.
“When I talk about Zhang Weili, she is literally a Ferrari. The only problem is, she needed those Ferrari engineers. She needed that right oil.”
“Triple C”, who retired from MMA in July 2020 after defending his bantamweight title against Dominick Cruz in a second-round TKO, of course came into the UFC as an Olympic gold medal wrestler.
The 34-year-old American – who topped the podium at the 2008 Beijing Games – has posted clips on Instagram of himself on the mats alongside Zhang, who herself has posted videos working on her wrestling.
“She came out and she got it. So she’s got the wrestling,” Cejudo added. “Dude, if I was to tell you the stuff that she’s picked up on … this is literally Zhang Weili 2.0.
Lithuanian-American “Thug” Namajunas (10-4) has so far kept her counsel in the build-up up to next month’s titanic title fight, having stoked the flames for their first meeting in Jacksonville, Florida by recalling the Cold War slogan “better dead than red”.
Zhang Weili (second left) and her head coach Cai Xuejun (right) pose with Henry Cejudo and Eric Albarracin (left) at the former UFC double champion's house. Photo: Weibo/Zhang Weili
Zhang has also been quiet, limiting her media appearances after receiving criticism for supposedly making excuses for the Namajunas defeat, where she was given a hostile reception at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.
Cejudo has backed his new training partner to unequivocally shut down the hater and doubters, though,
“I want you to lock your doors, hide your thugs, and give us all the roses, because Weili 2.0 is coming for all of you,” he added on Tuesday’s episode of his show.