![Jéssica Andrade [Left] Zhang Weili [Right]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/11/02e0b-16679184957158-1920.jpg)
![Jéssica Andrade [Left] Zhang Weili [Right]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Reigning UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili has been crucial in expanding the organization's footprint in Asia. She appears to have all the tools to become the next dominant champion of the division, which may help the UFC's mission to amass a solid fan base in the continent.
Weili has proven to be a bankable star as she managed to recapture the UFC strawweight title after getting dethroned with a highlight reel finish.
Who did Zhang Weili beat for the championship?
Zhang Weili is a current and two-time UFC strawweight champion. To secure her first UFC title win, she beat Jéssica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 157 to win the strawweight championship in August 2019.
'Magnum' finished Andrade in the first round after the Brazilian fighter rushed her and was countered by knees and elbows. The win also garnered Weili her first Performance of the Night bonus.
Weili had one successful title defense against former strawweight queen Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248. The bout was a back-and-forth contest which resulted in a split decision win for Weili. Both fighters won Fight of the Night bonuses for their bout.
In her next outing, she faced another former strawweight champ in 'Thug' Rose Namajunas, who took the title away from Weili via head-kick KO in the first round.
Following her title loss, 'Magnum' faced Namajunas in a rematch at UFC 268. In this bout, Weili put up a better fight but came up short on the judges' scorecards, losing the bout via split decision.
Next, she faced Joanna Jędrzejczyk in a rematch at UFC 275 where she knocked the Polish fighter out with a spinning back elbow in the second round. She won her second Performance of the Night bonus for her victory here.
Zhang Weili recaptured the strawweight title by defeating Carla Esparza in the co-main event of UFC 281 on November 12 at Madison Square Garden, New York City. She became the second two-time strawweight champion in UFC history after Namajunas.
After securing the first defense of her title against Amanda Lemos at UFC 292, Weili is now set to take on her compatriot and No. 1-ranked strawweight contender Yan Xiaonan at the milestone UFC 300 pay-per-view event on April 13.
Zhang Weili: Fight stats
Zhang Weili entered the UFC with a 16-1 record. After three straight wins, she secured a title shot against Jéssica Andrade. She has only two losses in the UFC, both to Rose Namajunas. 'Magnum' has a UFC record of 8-2 and an overall MMA record of 24-3.
Zhang Weili started training in martial arts at the age of six. She has an extensive background in Shaolin Kung Fu, Chinese Boxing, and Shuai Jiao, a style of wrestling in China. She has a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Pedro Jordão.
Being a striker primarily, Weili has 11 wins by knockout and eight submission wins, with 11 first-round finishes in her career. She has a striking accuracy of 48% having landed 738 out of 1421 attempted significant strikes.
She has a strike rate of 5.94 strikes landed per minute and an absorption rate of 3.44 strikes absorbed per minute. 'Magnum' has a takedown defense rate of 66% and an average fight time of 7:31.
