Forty-two seconds.
That was all the time needed for Hebei-born Zhang Weili to make history on Saturday, dethroning strawweight champion Jessica Andrade and becoming China’s first UFC champion.
Hosting an event on the Chinese mainland for the third consecutive year, UFC’s Fight Night in Shenzhen ended in extraordinary fashion.
In an event which saw six Chinese fighters claim victory in front of the home crowd, UFC Fight Night Shenzhen was a win not only for China’s top MMA talent but arguably the country as a whole in a sport that’s gaining more attention in the PRC. The crowd inside Shenzhen’s Universaide Sports Center were frequently chanting “Zhongguo, jiayou!” (“China, add oil!”) during the six-hour event.
Coming into Saturday’s fight, Zhang had won 19 consecutive bouts, but this one against Andrade was for more than another check in the win column. Competing to become the first-ever Chinese fighter to be named a UFC champion, Zhang put on quite a show with the whole world watching.
Image via @张伟丽MMA/Weibo
At around the 25-second mark, she began landing some major punches on Andrade, and managed to take a swipe at the Brazilian fighter’s chin, which led to a series of elbow and knee shots that signaled the end for Andrade. The fists of fury could not be contained as Zhang sent her opponent to the floor in a technical knockout (TKO).
Watch below to see Zhang take down the former strawweight champ in the title bout (VPN off):
After losing her first official MMA fight, Zhang has since strung together 20 consecutive wins. Following Saturday’s championship fight, Zhang posted on Weibo, saying “I did it. The belt is in China. Thank you everyone for all the support. I love you all.”
Image via @张伟丽MMA/Weibo
Zhang’s next task: defending it.
[Cover image via @鱼爸晓说/Weibo]
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