Most fans expected a solid scrap between former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk and title holder Zhang Weili at UFC 248. The co-main event of the Las Vegas card looked to be a thriller: Jedrzejczyk always delivers. Zhang’s rise to the top has been unprecedented.
What no one saw coming was what could rightfully be called the greatest women’s MMA fight of all time. Not just strawweight. No just in the UFC.
Realistically, Jedrzejczyk vs. Zhang was that good.
Both women landed, and landed often, from open to close. In all five rounds. Jedrzejczyk had the edge in volume. Zhang the advantage in power. The Polish challenger used stance changes while hunting for a head kick. She landed, or came close, several times. Zhang’s power shots, however, began to take their toll. A hematoma that seemed to surpass Mark Hominick’s began to form on Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s forehead. By the end of the fight, it appeared she was about to give birth out of her skull. Yet despite looking like Frankenstein’s monster’s little sister, she was still in the fight, firing to the end, landing a spinning backfist in the dying seconds of the fight.
Zhang was right there as well, and sometime in the fifth round, in a fight she was at risk of losing, she managed to find a second wind. The end result, a split decision victory for China’s Zhang.
Here’s how the pros saw it.
This is shit of legends https://t.co/LoIkJDuH0L
— 'Curtious' Curtis Millender (@CurtiousCurtis) March 8, 2020
Watching that live was amazing… #UFC248
— Shane Burgos (@HurricaneShaneB) March 8, 2020
Nothing but respect. 👏
🇵🇱 @JoannaMMA #UFC248 pic.twitter.com/uEkrP7JnsO
— UFC (@ufc) March 8, 2020
That fight was so crazy I forgot there was another #ufc248
— Katlyn Chookagian (@blondefighter) March 8, 2020
Maaaaan I can’t wait to fight 5 rounds again #UFC248
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) March 8, 2020
Joanna’s head was so swollen, I could read her thoughts. Good fight.
— Jason Mayhem Miller (@mayhemmiller) March 8, 2020
. @joerogan said that’s the best WMMA fight he’s called. Hands down best WMMA fight I’ve seen. And one of the best fights period! Congrats to both women! But special congrats to the champ!!!
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) March 8, 2020
50k each isn’t enough
— Anthony Rocco Martin (@TonyRoccoMartin) March 8, 2020
Both ladies 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 so proud and honored to be apart of this momentum! #WMMA ☝🏼 https://t.co/q0zdh8hO42
— Tracy Cortez (@TracyCortezmma) March 8, 2020
Great fight from both ladies. Very close fight it could have gone either way
— Sodiq Yusuff (@Super_Sodiq) March 8, 2020
Broken forehead! #UFC248
— Tito Ortiz (@titoortiz) March 8, 2020
@joannamma is the winner of this fight ! 👊🏻
— Valentina Shevchenko (@BulletValentina) March 8, 2020
Polonesa e chinesa cabulosas da porra… essa foi a melhor luta feminina de mma que eu já vi até hoje! #joannajedrzejczyk #weillizang #UFC248noCombate #LasVegas
— Sarah Frota A Treta (@mmatreta_) March 8, 2020
This fight is insane. Omg Joanna’s forehead 😳 #UFC248
— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) March 8, 2020
Umm…
this is not a woman’s sport 🤦♂️
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) March 8, 2020
Lost in translation
Interpreter gets performance of the night bonus.
— michael (@bisping) March 8, 2020
What just happened to that translator??!! 😂😂
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) March 8, 2020
More to come
And we got this fight next ! Card is crazy
— Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) March 8, 2020
