UFC champion Zhang Weili’s fond memories of fighting in China prompted a bold challenge from the top strawweight contender.
Weili (26-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) currently has three title defenses in her second reign as 115-pound champion. While she has created more than her fair share of championship moments, her most special may be the night she first became champion in 2019.
At UFC on ESPN+ 15, Weili stopped Jessica Andrade in the first round to win the strawweight title. Winning the title by TKO in the opening round to become the first Chinese champion in UFC history was incredible enough on its own, but what put it over the top for Weili was being able to do it on her home country’s soil in Shenzhen, China.
“Competing on home soil feels completely different,” Weili told AFP in a recent interview. “When you step into the arena with a roaring home crowd behind you, it gives you an incredible boost of energy. So when I won the championship in Shenzhen, the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying.”
UFC returns to China later this year. On Aug. 28, the promotion will bring a Fight Night event to Shanghai. Typically, Fight Night events do not see title fights on the card, but that has not stopped Virna Jandiroba from issuing a challenge to Weili.
“Zhang Weili, I’ve heard that you want to defend your belt in China,” Jandiroba wrote on X. “Let’s do this!! I’ve always wished to visit China.”
Jandiroba (22-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) is the current promotionally ranked No. 1 contender in the strawweight division. She is currently riding a five-fight winning streak, which includes back-to-back wins over former title challengers Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan.
Weili was last in action at UFC 312, where she won a unanimous decision over Tatiana Suarez to secure the third defense of her second title reign. Her next fight could be against Jandiroba, or a superfight against flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko.
No fights have been officially confirmed for the UFC Shanghai event in August.
