{"id":382125,"date":"2021-04-14T19:14:15","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T02:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=382125"},"modified":"2022-02-04T15:24:01","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T23:24:01","slug":"weili-zhang-seemingly-unfazed-by-better-dead-than-red-comments-made-by-rose-namajunas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ufc\/weili-zhang-seemingly-unfazed-by-better-dead-than-red-comments-made-by-rose-namajunas\/","title":{"rendered":"Weili Zhang seemingly unfazed by “better dead than red” comments made by Rose Namajunas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Women’s strawweight champion Weili Zhang has responded to the “better dead than red” comments made by her upcoming opponent Rose Namajunas.<\/p>\n

Zhang (21-1 MMA) and Namajunas (9-4 MMA) are set to square off in the co-main event of UFC 261 on April 24 in Jacksonville, Florida.<\/p>\n

Leading up to the fight the promotions reigning 115-pound champion, Weili Zhang, suggested that she hoped to befriend<\/a> Rose Namajunas following their clash at UFC 261.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom an exchange of blows, friendship grows,\u201d<\/em> Zhang said via South China Morning Post<\/a>. \u201cSo I hope maybe we will become friends after this fight. It\u2019s because Rose is a humble and very great fighter. She beat Joanna [Jedrzejczyk] twice and won against [Jessica] Andrade. She is a competitor with very good ability and I have always hoped I can fight with her. I feel a connection to those who fight martial arts, and we build friendships through the martial arts. We learn from each other and exchange our views when we fight together.”<\/em><\/p>\n

\"UFC
PhotoCred: South China Morning Post \/ UFC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite Weili Zhang’s seemingly genuine gesture, Rosa Namajunas is clearly taking a different approach to their title fight at UFC 261, one that many considered to be controversial.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just kind of reminding myself of my background and everywhere that I come from and my family and everything like that, and I kind of wanted to educate my training partner (Chico Camus) on the Lithuanian struggle and just the history of it all, so we watched \u2018The Other Dream Team\u2019 just to kind of get an overall sentiment of what we fight for. After watching that, it was just a huge reminder of like, yeah, it\u2019s better dead than red, you know? And I don\u2019t think it\u2019s any coincidence that Weili is red. That\u2019s what she represents,”<\/em> said<\/a> Namajunas.<\/p>\n

Many expected that the recent political comments made by ‘Thug Rose’ would jar a reaction from Weili Zhang. However, the reigning strawweight queen appears unfazed by the trash talk, remaining focused on the fight itself.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Weili Zhang \u5f20\u4f1f\u4e3d (@zhangweilimma)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n