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Weili Zhang vs. Rose Namajunas opening betting odds released
The opening betting odds have been revealed for the upcoming UFC 261 women’s strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas. Zhang vs. Namajunas has been long rumored to take place but the fight was only recently confirmed by the UFC, which plans on the bout taking place on April 24. With Zhang vs. […]
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Weili Zhang to defend strawweight title at UFC 261 against Rose Namajunas
Weili Zhang will look to defend her strawweight title for a second time against Rose Namajunas. For months now, many have been wondering when Zhang would fight again and who she would face. She had options of fighting Namajunas or Carla Esparza or even rematching Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Yet, according to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Zhang is […]
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UFC 261 in the works for Vegas after Singapore negotiations fail, strawweight title fight targeted
Rampant speculation has surrounded UFC 261 and its location. Now, it appears things will stay in Vegas with a pair of pivotal strawweight bouts. Combate reported on Thursday that the April 24 UFC pay-per-view event will no longer be at what was initially reported as Singapore. Instead, the promotion will stick with keeping things stateside […]
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk reacts after reports surface that she will return at UFC Singapore
Joanna Jedrzejczyk has reacted to reports suggesting that she will be returning to the Octagon this April at UFC Singapore. On Friday multiple reports surfaced that Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA) would be returning to action this Spring for a strawweight bout with perennial division contender Yan Xiaonan. BJPENN.com’s Tom Taylor was first to suggest that the […]
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UFC reportedly targeting Singapore event featuring the return of Zhang Weili
It has almost been over a full year since we last saw UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili in action. Thursday, John Hyon Ko of South China Morning Post reported that the UFC is currently targeting an April event for their return to Singapore with the hopes that the 115-pound champ will headline. Still in the […]
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Meng Bo: ‘I can definitely defeat Weili Zhang again’
Weili Zhang only has one loss on her MMA record. And that belongs to the UFC champ’s fellow Chinese standout, ONE Championship’s Meng Bo. On Nov. 9, 2013, Bo and Zhang met on the Chinese regional scene for each of their first clashes in MMA. However, despite their professional records both reading that bout as […]
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Weili Zhang could make next title defense in Asia, says Dana White
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang could make her next title defense in Asia, according to UFC president Dana White. Zhang is one of the top female fighters in the sports and she is looking to make a grand return to the Octagon in 2021, following a “Fight of the Year” performance against Joanna Jedrzejczyk […]
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Rose Namajunas “is ready to fight,” says manager
Rose Namajunas is ready to challenge Weili Zhang for the UFC strawweight title, according to the pair’s manager Brian Butler. UFC President Dana White recently claimed that Namajunas, the division’s former champion, isn’t interested in challenging Zhang in a bid to reclaim the title, and that Carla Esparza could get the opportunity in her stead. […]
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk reacts to potential Carla Esparza title shot: “Rose is next”
UFC women’s strawweight contender Joanna Jedrzejczyk reacted to the potential of Carla Esparza getting a title shot, saying “Rose is next.” We all thought the plan was for UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang to fight Rose Namajunas next, but UFC president Dana White recently got into a public disagreement with Team Namajunas about her […]
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk on a Weili Zhang rematch: ‘Maybe she doesn’t want to face me’
Early into 2020, Weili Zhang and Joanna Jedrzejczyk put on an instant classic in what many are touting as the fight of the year. The co-main event of March’s UFC 248 pay-per-view saw the new strawweight champion from China defending opposite Poland’s former queen. For a full 25 minutes, they went to war. Instantly after […]
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Joanna Jedrzejczyk reacts to receiving 2020 Fight of the Year honors
Former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk has reacted to receiving Fight of the Year honors at the 2020 World MMA Awards. Jedrzejczyk received this honor for her part in a fight with UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang. The pair met in the co-main event of UFC 248 in March, with Zhang’s title on the line. […]
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Weili Zhang reacts after classic with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 named Fight of the Year
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang reacted after her classic with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 was named 2020 Fight of the Year. It’s amazing that Zhang and Jedrzejczyk actually took place during this year considering how 2020 ended up turning out. Remember, UFC 248 in March was the last event to feature fans before […]
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Brandon Moreno makes his pick for 2020 Fight of the Year: “Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk should win”
Brandon Moreno was involved in one of the best fights of 2020, but he doesn’t believe he’s the most deserving candidate of Fight of the Year honors. Moreno dropped jaws earlier this month, when he battled UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo to a thrilling draw in the main event of UFC 256. While the two […]
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Team Rose Namajunas refutes Dana White’s claim that she does not want a title shot vs. Weili Zhang
Team Rose Namajunas has refuted UFC president Dana White’s claims that she does not want a title shot against strawweight champ Weili Zhang. After beating Jessica Andrade by split decision at UFC 251 in a “Fight of the Night” performance on Fight Island this past summer, White said that Namajunas was next in line to […]
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Dana White teases Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes trilogy: “It just makes sense to see those two fight again”
UFC president Dana White said that a Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes trilogy is possible, as is a superfight against Weili Zhang. Shevchenko, the reigning and defending UFC women’s flyweight champion, puts her belt on the line this weekend at UFC 255 when she takes on Jennifer Maia in the co-main event. Shevchenko has gone […]
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Weili Zhang likely to defend title against Rose Namajunas in first quarter of 2021, says coach
Pedro Jordao, one of the coaches behind UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang, says his pupil is likely to defend her title against Rose Namajunas in early 2021. “We’ll see how things go with this virus,” Jordao told MMA Fighting, laying out the timeframe for a long rumored fight between Zhang and Namajunas. “But I think […]
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Weili Zhang could have new title challenger in fellow China native Yan Xiaonan
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang could have a new title challenger in the form of fellow China native Yan Xiaonan. Zhang is, of course, the UFC champion at women’s 115lbs and she is one of the best female fighters in the world. At 21-1, Zhang hasn’t lost since her MMA debut in 2013. Since […]
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UFC “working on” strawweight title fight between Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas
The UFC is working on a strawweight title fight between reigning champion Weili Zhang and the division’s former champion, Rose Namajunas, per the promotion’s president Dana White. White was asked what’s next for Zhang at the conclusion of Saturday’s UFC Vegas 10 card, which was headlined by a clash of ranked strawweights in Michelle Waterson […]
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Rose Namajunas previews Weili Zhang matchup: “She’s a master; I’m a master”
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas believes she’s the next woman in line for the reigning champion Weili Zhang. Whenever the matchup happens, she expects it to be a beautiful display of martial arts. Namajunas discussed this compelling strawweight matchup in a recent interview with MMA Junkie. She says she believes that’s what’s next for […]
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Video | Rose Namajunas sends apology to Weili Zhang from hospital bed following victory at UFC 251
Rose Namajunas offered a good-natured apology to reigning UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang shortly following the conclusion of UFC 251. The former women’s strawweight champion, Namajunas (9-5 MMA), was making her Octagon return at tonight’s inaugural Fight Island event in a rematch against the woman who took her title, Jessica Andrade. Andrade had defeated Namajunas […]
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Rose Namajunas explains why Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk was not “fight of the year”
Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas does not believe that Weili Zhang vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk should take home “fight of the year” honors. Zhang (21-1 MMA) put her title on the line against former division queen Jedrzejczyk (16-4 MMA) in the co-headliner of March’s UFC 248 pay-per-view event. The result was one of the greatest […]
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Daniel Cormier doesn’t agree with Weili Zhang being ranked ahead of Valentina Shevchenko in P4P rankings
Daniel Cormier has said that he doesn’t agree with Weili Zhang being ahead of Valentina Shevchenko in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. In the wake of Amanda Nunes’ dominant victory over Felicia Spencer, there has been a great deal of talk surrounding the upper tier of women’s fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and who belongs […]
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Weili Zhang says her “preference” is to fight Rose Namajunas next
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang says that her “preference” is to fight Rose Namajunas in her next title defense at 115lbs. Zhang is coming off of a split decision win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 in one of the best women’s MMA fights of all time. It was Zhang’s first title defense since […]
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Weili Zhang finally emerges from quarantine, sets sights on Valentina Shevchenko
UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang has finally emerged from a lengthy period of quarantine in her native China, and she’s already plotting her next challenge in the Octagon. After she defeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk in one of the greatest fights of all time back in March, Zhang got stranded in the United States due to the […]
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Who has the best chance to end Weili Zhang’s reign?
Weili Zhang is one of the newer UFC champions but she has been undefeated inside the Octagon. The China native won the belt last August with a quick knockout win over Jessica Andrade. She then defended her title in an absolute war against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248. Zhang has shown her knockout power but […]
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Weili Zhang finally headed back to China over a month after UFC 248
UFC women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang is finally headed home to China after being stuck in the United States following UFC 248. Zhang fought rival Joanna Jedrzejczyk for five hard rounds in the co-main event of UFC 248 in an instant classic that is already regarded as one of the best fights in UFC history. […]
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Weili Zhang explains why she is in no rush to rematch Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Weili Zhang isn’t interested in running things back with Joanna Jedrzejczyk just yet. The two fought in the co-main event of UFC 248 where they put one of the greatest fights of all time. It was a back-and-forth affair that resulted in Zhang edging out a very narrow split decision win to defend her strawweight […]
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Weili Zhang receives supplies from Chinese fans during coronavirus lockdown in Las Vegas
UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang still hasn’t returned to her native China after her UFC 248 war with Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The champion elected to stay put in Las Vegas for up to a month, not only to avoid potential exposure to the coronavirus, but to simplify the stringent United States Anti-Doping Agency tests she’s subject […]