Las Vegas, NV — At UFC 248 this weekend, UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang will finally get an opportunity she’s long been calling for.
That would be a fight with former champ Joanna Jedrzejczky. It’s something Zhang called for in the past, she told media outlets including Cageside Press at the UFC 248 media day.
“I’ve been looking for this fight for a long time,” she explained, speaking via translator. “When I was number six-ranked, I called out for her three times, but she refused me three times. Finally we made it, so I’m pretty happy about it.”
Now that she has the long-sought after bout, Zhang says fans can expect the unexpected. “Definitely this fight will bring you a lot of surprises. It’s going to be super-thrilling,” she predicted.
The Chinese champion has made a habit of surprising fans, of course. After losing her pro debut, she embarked on a twenty-fight win streak that she rides into UFC 248 on Saturday. In her last outing, she claimed the 115lb title in the UFC, stopping feared Brazilian Jessica Andrade within a round.
Even those picking Zhang to win that fight probably didn’t figure her for a first round finish.
Against Jedrzejczyk, she’s facing a different sort of opponent. Volume as opposed to power, for one. Zhang broke down her rival by saying that “she’s a good technical fighter, but she’s kind of a stand-up style fighter. She’s good at punching, she’s good at takedown defense.”
But, said Zhang, “I think I can overpower her.” Her own reach and height are advantages, the champion believes.
Zhang is not, she said, expecting the fight to go the distance. Despite ten of Jedrzejczyk’s UFC contests going to the judges, win or lose. “I will definitely finish her,” proclaimed Zhang. “I will finish the fight. The fight won’t go five rounds. I will say probably within three rounds.”
She’s also hoping to inspire fans back home in China, currently at the epicenter of a viral pandemic.
“I do believe my title defense will encourage all those people who are combating the coronavirus in China,” Zhang said Thursday. “Especially on the front line. Because I’ve overcome a lot of difficulties, and they’re doing the same thing. So we’re doing our best with our job. Hopefully I can defend this title and become on of the biggest motivators in my country.”
Watch the full UFC 248 media day scrum with Weili Zhang above!
