UFC: Zhang Weili wants six more title defences – and another six rubies on her strawweight belt
- UFC star shows championship belt now has two red jewels for her title win and first defence
- ‘Magnum’ tells fans she is eyeing next fight later this year at New York’s Madison Square Garden
China’s UFC champion Zhang Weili has revealed she wants to make six more title defences – and add six more rubies on her strawweight belt in the process.
The 30-year-old explained her plans to hundreds of thousands of fans during a 90-minute live-stream on the Chinese video platform Douyin, which she recorded from coronavirus lockdown in Las Vegas.
“Magnum”, whose popularity in China has shot up since her successful title defence against Joanna Jedrzejczyk on March 8, showed the belt now has two rubies among its eight bezels, as well as her name.
The “Legacy” championship belts are a redesign introduced by the UFC at the beginning of 2019, to mark the company’s new era on ESPN and its 25th anniversary. Champions receive a new ruby for each successful title defence, as well as one for winning the belt – and Zhang said she will not stop until there are rubies in all eight positions.
When asked when she might mount her next title defence Zhang said she is working on recovering from her show-stopping win over Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248.