UFC 268: Zhang Weili dealt with her demons, ‘now I am calm’ for Rose Namajunas title rematch
- China’s former strawweight champ returns to the fray in New York on Saturday looking to reclaim the title from Rose Namajunas
- ‘Fighting in Madison Square Garden, USA, is really a historic moment for me. I am more focused, stronger and smarter,’ says Zhang
Zhang Weili lost focus – once – and so she lost her strawweight title to Rose Namajunas. But the Chinese fighter says she won’t ever make that mistake again.
“I felt like I was waiting for an opportunity,” said Zhang, of the first time these two fighters met. “That won’t happen this time. I was listening to everything going on around me and that won’t happen either. I am more focused, stronger and smarter.”
Weili (21-2) was speaking via Zoom to the Post and Chinese press on Wednesday in the lead-up to Saturday’s rematch with Namajunas (10-4) at the top of the UFC 268 card, to be held inside New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.
It’s a fitting stage, given The Garden’s rich history of having hosted the greats of combat sports down through the ages – everyone from boxing immortal Muhammad Ali to the UFC’s own Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre – and given the global attention on this fight.
In Zhang we have China’s first-ever UFC champion; in Namajunas we have a two-time title-holder and no-doubt future first-ballot Hall of Famer. Win the title back, and Zhang will one day join the American there.