UFC 248: Zhang Weili turns to mystical art of Muay Thai master Saenchai to lure Joanna Jedrzejczyk into ‘trap’

Zhang plans to use ‘sixth sense’ learned from training with Muay Thai legend Saenchai

‘He can set you up into a trap, and lure you in there. That is what we have planned for Joanna,’ says strawweight champion

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UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili during her open workout for UFC 248 in Las Vegas. Photo: AP

Published: 5:32pm, 5 Mar 2020Updated: 6:58pm, 5 Mar 2020

China’s strawweight queen Zhang “Magnum” Weili has turned to the mysteries of Muay Thai and one of the ancient martial art’s living legends in veteran fighter Saenchai in the lead-up to her first title defence against former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland at this weekend’s UFC 248.

“It’s like he has a sixth sense,” Zhang said of the Thai fighter, a man whose record of 345 fights (with 299 wins) pretty much speaks for itself. “He can set you up into a trap, and lure you in there. That is what we have planned for Joanna.”

Zhang has arrived in Las Vegas for Saturday’s UFC 248 with a fight plan crafted during preparations turned on their head by the lingering fear of the coronavirus outbreak in her homeland, and beyond. Her camp first landed in Thailand and then scooted off to Abu Dhabi to ensure Zhang remained isolated enough to remain as far from the reach of the virus as possible.

The experience with Saenchai in Thailand seems to have been the silver lining on those pre-fight preparations so often clouded by worry over whether Zhang might even be allowed into the United States to defend her crown, as cases of Covid-19 – the disease which stems from the coronavirus – continue to grow globally.

“We’ve been through ups and downs, a lot of issues,” said Zhang. “But I have learned a lot on this trip from different coaches, new coaches. Saenchai is the main one and he has been such a great fighter in his career. I learned all about foot movement and how to control the cage. I realised he is a master of setting an opponent up to do just what he wants.”