Weili Zhang vs. Rose Namajunas is one of those dream match ups that don’t come around that often. But of late, the stars have aligned on big PPV cards like UFC 261.
The fight between Zhang and Namajunas featured two fighters who seemed to be on a collision course. The fight being attached to a mammoth card with fans back in the building seemed fitting; it was a bout that deserved to go down in front of a sold-out arena.
Rose Namajunas had earned the opportunity to fight for UFC gold that she saw slip away from her in Brazil at UFC 237. Like any fighter with a heart of a champion, she avenged that loss to Jéssica Andrade – but unfortunately for Rose, Andrade had lost the title to Weili Zhang.
Weili Zhang had proven that she is willing to go to war to defend her title, as her fight with Joanna Jędrzejczyk showed — a fight that could easily go down as one of the greatest fights in history. Weili Zhang wanted to be remembered as one of the greatest to ever come out of China, and to defend against Rose Namajunas would show that she surely deserved that legacy.
Only one woman was going to get the outcome she wanted. And just like that, at UFC 261, we had a new strawweight champion. With a devastating high kick, Rose Namajunas captured UFC gold in the very first round.
PROS GIVE THEIR TAKE
The pros react to the second title fight that was on the line of the night at UFC 261.
Thug rose!!!!!!! 🌹 #UFC261
— Dan “50k” Ige (@Dynamitedan808) April 25, 2021
Beautiful headkick!!!!! #UFC261
— The Golden Boy (@edmenshahbazyan) April 25, 2021
Thug Rose #ufc261 @rosenamajunas 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
— Amanda Nunes (@Amanda_Leoa) April 25, 2021
#thugrose #ufc261 @ufc WHAT A KO☄️
— Joanna Jedrzejczyk (@joannamma) April 25, 2021
Thug rose!!!!
— Stipe Miocic (@stipemiocic) April 25, 2021
🌹🌹🌹😱 #UFC261
— Calvin Kattar (@CalvinKattar) April 25, 2021
Thuuuuuuug rooooseeeeee
— Belal Muhammad (@bullyb170) April 25, 2021
THUG ROSE #UFC261
— Niko Price (@Nikohybridprice) April 25, 2021
Gutted for @zhangweilimma but I know she’ll be back! Congrats @rosenamajunas on a masterful performance 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 #UFC261
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) April 25, 2021
Amazing performance from Thug Rose! Weili is a beast. #ufc261
— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) April 25, 2021
Whaaaat! She did it again! #UFC261
— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) April 25, 2021
It’s crazy because I envisioned this Knockout because Weilis fight against Joanna I remember she got rocked by one of Joannas headkick. 🤯 #UFC261
— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) April 25, 2021
Sometimes Rogan’s reaction to KOs looks like he’s getting shot out of a cannon. 😳 #UFC261
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) April 25, 2021
LOVE PAT BARRY ENERGY!!
“YOU DA BEST EVA!!”#UFC261— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) April 25, 2021
OHHH MYYY GODDD!!!! THUG ROSEEE THUG ROSEEEE #UFC261
— Megan Anderson (@MeganA_mma) April 25, 2021
