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Michael Bisping was filled with as much anticipation as fans as he previewed the second meeting between Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
The two women produced 2020's Fight of the Year and not just one of the greatest women's MMA fights ever, but one of the best bouts of all time, period.
The pair first stood across from one another in the octagon in March 2020. Weili, the then-champion, looked to make her first strawweight defense against former titleholder Jedrzejczyk.
The two women went to war for five rounds, with Weili retaining her belt with a razor-close split decision victory. The result was almost secondary to the fight, as both women's reputations in the UFC only soared.
During BT Sport's UFC 275 Preview Show, Bisping suggested that fans are going to be treated to a rematch with just as much quality as their first fight.
"What a fight the first one was. Back and forth action from start to finish. We know Joanna, at the end of it, was barely recognizable... The ferocity from both ladies, the display they put on...it was mind-blowing. I have so much respect for both ladies... Yes it could have been 25 minutes [referring to the rematch only being three rounds], but it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if it's 5, 10, 15, 50 minutes. Both ladies wanna come in and both want to win. I think we're going to see a very similar fight to what we saw the first time out."
Catch the full show below:
Since the fight, the Polish star has been on a two-year hiatus from the octagon. In that time, Zhang Weili lost her title to Rose Namajunas.
Both Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk have lost their strawweight titles to 'Thug Rose' and failed to capture the belt in a rematch.
Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko expects Joanna Jedrzejczyk to beat Zhang Weili
UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko believes that Joanna Jedrzejczyk will be vicorious in her rematch with 'Magnum'.
Shevchenko herself has beaten the Pole, winning the vacant flyweight championship in the process. She is confident that Jedrzejczyk will be successful against the Chinese-born strawweight this weekend.
Shevchenko admitted that she is a big fan of the 115-pound legend and likes her style in the octagon. 'Bullet' is confident the 34-year-old's unrelenting pressure will be enough to stop Weili.
Predicting the bout during an interview with James Lynch, Shevchenko said:
"I go with Joanna because I like her. I like her style. I like her pressure she is putting on her opponent and everytime being mean girl for everyone. I like that. That's why I wish her the victory. But I also like Weili. Because she showed her heart in the fight and yeah it's kind of like, but in this fight I go with Joanna."
The two women will square off once again at UFC 275 in Singapore. After a first fight that has firmly etched itself in history, every MMA fan's eyes will be on the rematch between two of the toughest fighters the UFC has ever seen.
Watch Valentina Shevchenko predict the winner between Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Zhang Weili here:
