UFC 261: Zhang Weili fires first salvo at Rose Namajunas, says she will bring ‘more weapons’
- China’s strawweight champion speaks for first time since April 24 clash with Namajunas was confirmed
- ‘She has great footwork and boxing skills. I have prepared specifically for her skill set. I know that anything could happen,’ says Zhang
Zhang Weili believes the world will see her closer to her “full potential” when the Chinese strawweight champion returns to the Octagon to defend her title against another former champ in America’s Rose Namajunas at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida, on April 24.
It’s a scary thought, given the Chinese star’s record reads 21-1, she’s on a 5-0 run with the UFC, and she’s coming off a victory in what is widely believed to be the best fight the women’s side of MMA has ever seen, against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. But the word from Zhang was that the world should still expect the unexpected, once again.
“I know that anything could happen [against Namajunas],” Zhang said on Tuesday. “It will end up being decided by who has the more weapons in the Octagon. I will bring more weapons.”
Zhang was speaking for the first time since the long-awaited clash with Namajunas (9-4) was officially confirmed by the UFC. That announcement came on March 9 after months of back-room negotiations but now the path has been cleared and two of the biggest hitters in the women’s side of the fight game can clear all outside distractions and focus entirely on each other, and what looms as a Fight of the Year contender.
“Everything is now moving smoothly and I’m excited about this fight with Rose,” Zhang told SCMP MMA. “Since my last title defence Rose has been on my mind as my ideal opponent. I’m very happy. She has great footwork and boxing skills. I have been preparing specifically for her skill set. During that fight [vs Jedrzejczyk] my eagerness to win took me to a whole new level, closer to my full potential. Now I am ready to move closer to my full potential [against Namajunas].”
Once things kick off between the pair – in front of the UFC’s first live audience in the US since the global pandemic closed doors on attendance last May – it will have been more than 12 months since the 30-year-old Weili last fired a shot in anger.
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There were plenty of those coming from both sides in her epic clash with Poland’s former champion Jedrzejczyk (16-4) at UFC 248 last March. UFC Stats says there were near on 800 strikes thrown between them across a bout widely acknowledged as the best of 2020, as Zhang took a split decision to retain her title.
With Jedrzejczyk beaten it became a case of “who’s next” for Zhang before the 28-year-old Namajunas put herself front and centre after emerging victorious – again by split decision – against another former champ in Brazil’s Jessica Andrade (21-8) at UFC 251 last July 12.
With the No 1 contender spot cemented, it all came down to getting Namajunas to sign on – and for a venue to be confirmed after the UFC flirted with the idea of bringing the show to Singapore and creating a “bubble” similar to the organisation’s successful deal with the “Fight Island” complex in Abu Dhabi.
UFC boss Dana White has instead decided to use a stacked UFC 261 pay-per-view card to relaunch live events for US fans, and Zhang-Namajunas will now share the bill with two other title bouts as Nigerian-American welterweight king Kamaru Usman (18-1) looks to defend his belt against American Jorge Masvidal (35-14) and the Kyrgyzstani flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko (20-3) puts her belt on the line against Andrade.
Zhang said it was too early to guess how the bout might end but that there was improvement ahead, both in the gym, and come fight night.
“I cannot predict the outcome at the moment but I have done enough homework on her boxing, her kicking and her wrestling. I know that anything could happen,” she said. “What I learned in my last fight is you can never foresee your full potential. One’s potential is unlimited.”
