UFC: China’s Zhang Weili takes best MMA fight for classic with Joanna Jedrzejczyk

The five-round slugfest between 31-year-old Chinese superstar and Polish former champion was an instant thriller

Weili took the decision win at UFC 248 in March for the women’s strawweight title, leaving ‘JJ’ with a badly swollen face

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Zhang Weili earned fight of the year honours for her second UFC title defence in Las Vegas. Photo: AP

Published: 5:10pm, 28 Dec 2020Updated: 5:10pm, 28 Dec 2020

China’s Zhang “Magnum” Weili took fight of the year honours for her amazing tilt with Polish former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 in March in Las Vegas.

The bout went five rounds and was filled to the brim with wild exchanges and little defence as the two strawweights battled hard right until the final bell. Weili took the decision as she controlled most of the fight and held the centre of the ring for many of the rounds.

Both fighters had to be taken to hospital afterwards and Jedrzejczyk had a gruesome-looking hematoma on her forehead. UFC commentator Joe Rogan called it the fight of the year while the bout was still going on.

During a tough year for the sporting world, the 12th World MMA Awards, produced by Fighters Only, did not have much to choose from given the UFC held most of the high-profile MMA fights.

Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk square off in what would become the MMA world’s fight of the year. Photo: AP

The voters gave Zhang’s fight top honours over Israel Adesanya vs Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 236), Josh Emmett vs Shane Burgos (UFC on ESPN 11), Dustin Poirier vs Dan Hooker (UFC on ESPN 12) and Kamaru Usman vs Colby Covington (UFC 245).