{"id":450211,"date":"2022-06-12T11:33:15","date_gmt":"2022-06-12T18:33:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=450211"},"modified":"2022-06-12T11:33:15","modified_gmt":"2022-06-12T18:33:15","slug":"zhang-weili-explains-her-idea-for-a-ufc-strawweight-title-fight-against-carla-esparza","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/ufc\/zhang-weili-explains-her-idea-for-a-ufc-strawweight-title-fight-against-carla-esparza\/","title":{"rendered":"Zhang Weili explains her idea for a UFC Strawweight Title fight against Carla Esparza"},"content":{"rendered":"

Zhang Weili has an interesting idea for a UFC Strawweight Title fight against champion Carla Esparza.<\/p>\n

Zhang made it clear that she’s still an elite 115-pounder at UFC 275. She silenced the doubters by knocking Joanna Jedrzejczyk out cold with a spinning backfist<\/a> in Singapore.<\/p>\n

She now appears to be in prime position to be Esparza’s first challenger in her second reign.<\/p>\n

During the UFC 275 post-fight press conference, Zhang Weili suggested that a title fight with Carla Esparza be held in a neutral location (via MMAJunkie.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\u201cI want fight with Carla in Abu Dhabi because I know there\u2019s a fight there in October,\u201d Weili told reporters through an interpreter at the UFC 275 post-fight news conference. \u201cI think Carla is a special fighter, too, and I know that can be a really good fight. Also, for me and for her \u2013 not China or the U.S. So we can fight in another country, so it\u2019s fair for both of us.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Weili said that preparing for a fight with Esparza would keep her on her toes in several aspects of MMA.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think there\u2019s no weak fighter in the top rankings,\u201d Weili said. \u201cSo if I\u2019m fighting Carla, I need to improve my grappling, my BJJ, my wrestling. There\u2019s nothing I need to specially care for. I just need to improve myself. MMA is over all sports, so I don\u2019t think we can have any disadvantage, so I want to be a well-rounded fighter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Esparza won the UFC Strawweight Championship for the second time last month. She defeated Rose Namajunas via split decision at UFC 274. The bout was widely panned for being uneventful.<\/p>\n

It’ll be interesting to see if the UFC goes through with booking Zhang vs. Esparza next.<\/p>\n