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Jonathan White

It’s been eight months since Zhang Weili last stepped into the Octagon to defend her strawweight title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
That 25-minute battle was seen as a Fight of the Year contender, with Zhang leaving the Pole temporarily disfigured and likened to an “alien”.
It also left Zhang trapped in Las Vegas, unable to return to China because of Covid-19 travel restrictions.
A lot has changed since she made it home but the anticipation for Zhang’s next fight has been constant and there appears to be movement on that according to her coach.




















View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Dana White (@danawhite)



Pedro Jordao has said that Zhang should be back in the octagon early next year, with “Thug” Rose Namajunas the likely title challenger.
“We’ll see how things go with this virus,” the Brazilian told MMA Fighting. “But I think will probably be in the first quarter. … We’re training for a while here. It appears that her next fight will be against Rose, but nothing is set yet. Everything indicates that’s the plan — and it makes sense, everybody knows that.
UFC star Zhang’s growing influence sees her top athlete on ‘Forbes’ China Celebrity List
“She’s another tough opponent. I think Rose is more technical, more calm, and very talented. It’s time to test that. I know she’s probably training really hard, but I think it’s a good match-up for Weili Zhang style-wise.
“People say she’s is very strong, very strong, but we’ve seen how technical she is, too. I trust Weili and think she will be able to defeat Rose.”
Zhang is undefeated in seven years in MMA and is 5-0 in the UFC since signing in 2018 and her star is on the rise at home and abroad, with sponsorship deals rolling in.


Another title defence of the belt she won from Jessica Andrade in August 2019 against a former champ is going to be a good fight for the 31-year-old.
She certainly looks in good shape. Zhang shared footage of her in training last week, hammering body shots into her coach.
UFC boss Dana White reposted the clip on his own Instagram: “God Daaaaaamn!!!! That body shot drops 99.9% of the men watching this right now. @zhangweilimma is a f***** BEAST,” he wrote.
How rise of Weili is helping UFC reach China’s online masses
She is and so is the UFC.
While other sports have really struggled with Covid-19, one of the fastest growing organisations in sport has gone from strength to strength.
Fight Island and the Las Vegas Performance Centre have been a strong part of that but there is also the growth of the sport in China, fuelled by Zhang’s rise.

AND NEW! The first UFC event in China ends with the crowning of the first Chinese UFC champion!

Weili Zhang stops Jessica Andrade after 0:42 of the first round to take the belt!#UFCShenzhen#UFC #MMA #FPMMA pic.twitter.com/Atw8MhL5ll
— Front Page MMA (@FrontPageMMA) August 31, 2019

Every sport, if not every business, still wants its piece of the pie and UFC is no different.
“China is such a big piece in the UFC business,” UFC Asia-Pacific senior vice president Kevin Chang said at the SportsPro Asia event in October, speaking of the US$13 million Performance Centre in Shanghai which opened in July 2018.
“We definitely wanted to plant a flag and have this facility here in China. When we look at Shanghai, it is the centre of culture, the centre of commerce, and now really the centre of sports in China. Then you have the proximity to the neighbouring Asian countries – it just made sense for us to do that.”
UFC: Yan Xiaonan takes step towards strawweight title shot
That centre not only allows for the UFC to train existing fighters and produce localised content to meet the needs of Chinese fans but also helps them to develop Chinese fighters.
“In order for us to continue to grow, we want and need to have more Chinese athletes,” Lawrence Epstein told Sports Pro Media last July when the Shanghai centre opened. “That truly rolls up into the core goal of this facility.”
The centre has also allowed them to cosy up to to the Chinese Olympic Committee, signing a multi-year deal for its athletes to use the facility to train for Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.

Dana White, regarding if Amanda Nunes vs Valentina Shevchenko 3 makes sense, says Jessica Andrade is a good fight for Valentina, then after, he thinks the fight that makes more sense is Zhang Weili will be fighting here soon then maybe Amanda #UFC255 pic.twitter.com/dcgx0mvKDg
— Helen Yee (@HelenYeeSports) November 22, 2020

Other sports would kill for this, let alone the UFC’s trump card.
While everyone else crosses their fingers for a new Yao Ming, the UFC has two Chinese fighters in the strawweight category.
It is surely a question of when not if Zhang will meet Yan “Fury” Xiaonan, a fight that could break the Chinese internet.

"Remember me!"

On this day in 2019, Zhang Weili became China's first UFC champion pic.twitter.com/ZS95raWkaF
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) August 31, 2020

Yan (13-1-0, one no contest) forced the question before her last fight, which saw victory over Claudia Gadelha by unanimous decision on November 8, saying that a title fight with Zhang would be “big in China”.
She then pushed it again after the win. “I think I’m one shot away from getting a title shot from Dana White,” she said. Yan thinks she can win.
UFC: China’s Yan sees title shot against Zhang on horizon
It is not a bad card to hold in the UFC back pocket, the possibility of a fight between two Chinese fighters in China is a surefire winner whenever White decides to play it.
For all the talk of China becoming an MMA superpower, White essentially has a super power he can call on. An all-Chinese title fight in China is basically a cheat code.
The UFC might be the new kid on the block when it comes to China but it is primed to out-punch the sports that got there first.


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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan fight would see UFC put China in a chokehold

UFC women's strawweight champion Zhang Weili of China awaits former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland at UFC 248 in Las Vegas. Photo: AP

UFC: Yan Xiaonan and the fists of Fury take another step towards a strawweight title shot

China’s Yan Xiaonan throws a punch at Brazil’s Claudia Gadelha during their UFC Fight Night strawweight bout UFC APEX in Las Vegas. Photo: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 07: (R-L) Claudia Gadelha of Brazil punches Yan Xiaonan of China in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on November 07, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC: China’s Yan Xiaonan sees title shot on the horizon – once she gets past Claudia Gadelha

China’s Yan Xiaonan celebrates one of her victories. Photo: Handout

Yan Xiaonan is now 4-0 in the UFC. Photo: Twitter

Yan Xiaonan throws a kick at Syuri Kondo.

Yan 'Fury' Xiaonan celebrates a win in China.

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - FEBRUARY 23: (R-L) Yan Xiaonan of China punches Karolina Kowalkiewicz of Poland in their strawweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Spark Arena on February 23, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC: Zhang Weili emerges from coronavirus quarantine looking to Valentina Shevchenko after hero’s welcome home

Zhang Weili in a hazmat suit at the airport. Photo: Weibo

UFC women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang of China and former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland during UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, March 7, 2020. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Sun/Steve Marcus)/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

UFC women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang, right, of China, gets kicked by former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland during UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, March 7, 2020.(Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

UFC women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang, right, of China punches former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland during UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, March 7, 2020. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Joanna Jedrzejczyk at the end of her fight during a split decision loss to Weili Zhang in a strawweight title bout at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

How the rise of Zhang Weili is helping the UFC reach China’s online masses

UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili punches Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. Photo: AP

Mixed martial artist Zhang Weili holds Tony Ferguson's baseball at the UFC 248 ceremonial weigh-ins.

Zhang Weili has her own shirt (centre) in the UFC's new Tmall eCommerce store.

Zhang Weili celebrates her win

UFC: Zhang Weili says ‘I’m not Yao Ming’ as champ vows to create own hype in China

China’s first UFC champion Zhang Weili attends a training session at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai. Photo: AFP

UFC women's strawweight champion Weili Zhang, right, of China, punches former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland during UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Saturday, March 7, 2020.(Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

China's first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion Zhang Weili (R) attends a training session with strength and conditioning coach Ruben Payan at the UFC performance institute in Shanghai on June 15, 2020. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

China's first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champion Zhang Weili attends a training session at the UFC performance institute in Shanghai on June 15, 2020. (Photo by Hector RETAMAL / AFP)

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


Possibility of two Chinese MMA fighters challenging for title in China is stuff other sports can only dream of
UFC’s growth in China driven by strawweight stars but still more to come as deal with Chinese Olympic Committee suggests



Possibility of two Chinese MMA fighters challenging for title in China is stuff other sports can only dream of as UFC has gone from strength to strength despite Covid-19.


Martial arts

Expresses the views, ideas and conclusions of the author. (Eg. Enough of Crazy Rich Asians, think of crazy poor Hongkongers.)


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The Takedown

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}The Takedown | Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan fight would see UFC put China in a chokehold

The Takedown | Zhang Weili vs Yan Xiaonan fight would see UFC put China in a chokehold