UFC 235: China’s Zhang Weili inches closer to title shot as she signs on to face Tecia Torres in Las Vegas

Win that, and the path towards the UFC strawweight title opens right up for Zhang in what would be a lightning-quick climb through the ranks, given she only signed for the world’s leading mixed martial arts organisation in May.

“I’m very excited to have the chance to fight a number six ranked fighter,” Zhang (18-1-0) told the South China Morning Post on Friday. “I didn’t expect to have this kind of opportunity that fast. It definitely gets me one step closer to my dream.

“I’d like to fight all different kinds of fighters in the world. I want to learn from them, and Tecia Torres brings such an amazing challenge to me. I believe we will make a very exciting match-up, and I want to show more of my well-rounded skills to the world. I will use my intelligence and MMA philosophy to win the fight.”

Zhang was thrown in the deep end of the UFC’s talent pool at the Chinese capital’s Cadillac Arena, matched in just her second fight with the promotion against American Jessica “Jag” Aguilar (20-7). The Mexican-American fighter has battled some of the best and at one stage herself was rated as the top strawweight on the planet.

But it was all quickly over as Zhang took her career record to 18-1 with a fierce display of power, landing short, sharp blows from the bell, and rag-dolling Aguilar to the canvas before laying on an arm bar that saw her battered and bleeding opponent tap out at three minutes and 41 seconds of the first.