New York, NY – Not many fighters take rematches as seriously as former UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili is coming into UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden on November 6.
Zhang moved her entire camp to Arizona to train at Fight Ready with former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo. With better training partners and new head coach Eric Albarracin, it is safe to say that Zhang has changed her approach to fighting.
“This time I learned so much from Henry. Of course from mental side but also from technical side,” Zhang revealed during the UFC 268 media day on Wednesday. “When I got to Fight Ready I thought he would not spend a lot of time with me but actually we spent every day training together in Fight Ready, so I have learned so much.
Losing the title to Rose Namajunas may have been a tough pill to swallow but Zhang took it in stride and made a positive out of it.
“After I lost last game [fight] and then I think a lot and I feel the loss is actually a really good thing for me, and kind of like treasure for me to learn more about myself and about my fighting.”
With Namajunas part of a fight team that includes coaches like Trevor Wittman and Pat Barry and teammates Kamaru Usman and Justin Gaethje, it seems that Zhang has leveled her team up with the additions of Cejudo and Albarracin.
“I feel very confident about my team. Maybe Rose hopes that only Henry is the only one on my team but the fact is my team is very strong. This time we have coaches from different countries that speak four different languages and we have coaches like coach Eric. Brazilian coach Felipe and Pedro Souza. Also I’m sparring with John Moraga, the former UFC fighter. So I feel that the team is very strong and very confident.”
If nothing else Zhang moved to a team of winners and will enter the octagon against Namajunas with the hopes that her training and preparation will result in getting the title back.
Watch the full UFC 268 media day appearance from Zhang Weili above. More coverage of the event can be found below. UFC 268 takes place Saturday November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.