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Ultimate Fighting Championship
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts

UFC: Zhang Weili says Joanna Jedrzejczyk ‘cried for hours’ in hospital – ‘she kept covering her head’

  • ‘There was just a curtain between us’ at hospital after brutal UFC 248 fight, says strawweight champion Zhang
  • ‘I felt very sad for her, although she was very disrespectful to me before ... I especially wanted to comfort her’

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Joanna Jedrzejczyk hangs on to Zhang Weili in a split decision loss during their strawweight title bout at UFC 248. Photo: AFP
Nicolas Atkin

After sharing the Octagon for five of the most brutal rounds in UFC history, Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk also shared a hospital room.

There had been a heated build-up to their strawweight title fight at UFC 248, with Jedrzejczyk playing mind games and trying to goad the champion. But there was clearly a new-found mutual respect afterwards.

“After the match, Joanna and I, we both met at the hospital. We arrived at the hospital almost at the same time. There was just a curtain between us,” Zhang said.

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Both fighters’ face were left bloody and bruised, but Jedrzejczyk came off worse, ending the fight with a huge hematoma on her forehead and a disfigured face.

“She kept crying for hours. I felt very sad. I especially wanted to comfort her. But the language barrier, I can only tell her, ‘Good job! You did very well. You are very good’. Then she kept crying, covering her head,’ Zhang added.

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