UFC 248: Joanna Jedrzejczyk ‘fears my strength and clinching’, says Chinese champion Zhang Weili

Chinese champion Zhang insists she beats Polish contender Jedrzejczyk standing up, in the clinch and on the ground

Zhang hopes her performances can inspire new generation of Chinese UFC signings and title contenders

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Zhang Weili at the open workouts ahead of UFC Fight Night 157 Shenzhen last year. Photo: Handout

Published: 2:43pm, 2 Mar 2020Updated: 2:43pm, 2 Mar 2020

China’s first UFC champion Zhang Weili says upcoming title challenger Joanna Jedrzejczyk is no match in all three of MMA’s general fighting styles.

Zhang (20-1), who faces Poland’s Jedrzejczyk (16-3) in the women’s strawweight co-main event at UFC 248 on Sunday, hinted that she would neutralise and inevitably capitalise on whatever is thrown her way.

“Joanna will keep distance away from me. She won’t stay in the pocket with me because she fears my strength and clinching,” Zhang told Dan Hardy’s Full Reptile Collective in a translated interview while training at the UFC’s Performance Institute (PI).

“I don’t really see anything that can threaten me, so it’s going to be a hard time for her. There are three main areas – stand-up, wrestling and jiu jitsu – and whatever she brings to the table, I’ll go with it and I’ll beat her.”

The 30-year-old Handan native, who made history as Asia’s only UFC champion after beating Brazil’s Jessica Andrade last August, had spent much of her training camp working around the ongoing coronavirus.

Although she had said last week that she “felt like a refugee” after travelling between China, Thailand and the US amid visa and health uncertainties, Zhang is now focused on her weekend title defence.