UFC 261: how Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas use ancient martial arts for modern form of combat
- Strawweight champ comes from a kung fu background; American challenger has turned to kali from the Philippines
- ‘If you’re up against a knife or a stick you can’t touch the blade. And Weili’s hands are blades,’ says former coach
Scroll through the social media accounts of Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas, in the lead-up to their fight for the strawweight title at UFC 261 on April 24, and you’ll witness martial arts styles that add to the intrigue surrounding a bout that already promises to be an epic.
On one side you have Zhang (21-1), and the clips of her championing the traditions of Chinese martial arts such as kung fu in her rise to the strawweight title. On the other there is American Namajunas (9-4), who can be seen learning the lesser-known Philippine martial art of kali (also known as arnis or eskrima), a weapon-based system of defence and attack using knives, swords and sticks.
But what are the benefits of both, once they step inside the Octagon in Jacksonville, Florida, and once the rules of engagement are set down by the MMA overlords?
Vincent Soberano has a unique take on how this will play out, given the former multiple Muay Thai world champion was Zhang’s first striking coach, back when she transitioned from traditional Chinese martial arts to MMA around 2011. The fact Soberano grew up in the central Philippine city of Bacolod, surrounded by his nation’s rich martial arts heritage, also means that he knows what Namajunas’ extra training is all about.
The 30-year-old Zhang’s hometown of Handan – in northern Hebei province – is steeped in kung fu teachings that date back centuries, while the fighter went on to hone her craft through the more modern arts of sanda, or Chinese kickboxing, and shuai jiao, the nation’s form of wrestling.
