UFC 261: Rose Namajunas calls Zhang Weili behaviour ‘strange’ after blanking her

Strawweight champion finds it odd that Zhang is ‘interested in being friends’ and wanted ‘a sleepover in China’ but did not say hello

‘I don’t know her but I do think I know a lot about her,’ ‘Thug Rose’ says of the kick that won belt back

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Rose Namajunas celebrates after beating Zhang Weili in the UFC 261 co-main event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:14pm, 1 May 2021Updated: 3:34pm, 4 May 2021

UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani that she and Chinese fighter Zhang Weili did not speak either before or after their fight at UFC 261 and it felt “so strange” to her.

The build-up to the fight was marred by the Lithuanian-American’s “better dead than red” comments, channelling Cold War rhetoric, while Zhang was booed by fans in the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on the night.

Zhang (21-2) had told SCMP MMA that she hoped to bond with Namajunas after the fight on a conference call with Chinese media a week before Namajunas (11-4) spoke to Lithuanian national broadcaster LRT.

“From an exchange of blows, friendship grows,” Zhang said in early April. “So I hope maybe we will become friends after this fight.”

Zhang’s team said they had ignored Namajunas’ comments as the fight neared.

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