Zhang Weili facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zhang Weili |
|
---|---|
![]() Zhang in 2022
|
|
Born | Handan, Hebei, China |
August 13, 1990
Native name | 张伟丽 |
Other names | Weili Zhang |
Height | 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) |
Weight | 115 lb (52 kg; 8.2 st) |
Division | Strawweight (2013–present) Flyweight (2016) |
Reach | 63 in (160 cm) |
Fighting out of | Beijing, China |
Team | Black Tiger Fight Club Fight Ready Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA |
Trainer |
|
Rank | Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Pedro Jordão |
Years active | 2013–present |
Mixed martial arts record | |
Total | 29 |
Wins | 26 |
By knockout | 11 |
By submission | 8 |
By decision | 7 |
Losses | 3 |
By knockout | 1 |
By decision | 2 |
Zhang Weili (Chinese: 张伟丽; pinyin: Zhāng Wěilì), born on August 13, 1990, is a professional mixed martial artist from China. She is a top fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and has been the UFC Women's Strawweight Champion two times. Zhang Weili was the first Chinese fighter to ever win a UFC championship. Before joining the UFC, she was also a champion in another fighting league called Kunlun Fight (KLF).
Contents
About Zhang Weili
Early Life and Training
Zhang Weili grew up in Handan, Hebei, China. Her father was a miner, and her mother was a homemaker. She has an older brother who now works at her gym to support her career.
Zhang started learning martial arts when she was very young, at just six years old. She was inspired by Kung Fu films and began training in Shaolin Kung Fu. In primary school, she played many sports like athletics, football, and table tennis. When she was 12, her parents sent her to a special martial arts school. There, she trained in Sanda and Shuai Jiao. She won Sanda championships in her home province many times. However, a back injury made her stop the sport early.
Starting Her Fighting Career
At 17, Zhang moved to Beijing and worked different jobs, including a cashier, kindergarten teacher, and security guard. In 2010, she found a job as a fitness instructor at a gym. This allowed her to use the gym's equipment for free after hours. She also started learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu there. Later, she met famous Chinese MMA fighter Wu Haotian, who became her idol. In 2012, he introduced her to Black Tiger Fight Club, where coach Cai Xuejun saw her talent and began training her in MMA.
Zhang shared in 2019 that Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen and his 2007 movie Flashpoint inspired her to get into MMA. She also said that watching Ronda Rousey's fight in 2013 motivated her to become a full-time MMA fighter.
Becoming a Professional Fighter
Zhang Weili began her professional MMA career in 2013. She lost her first fight, but then she won 11 fights in a row! On May 25, 2017, she won the Kunlun Fight Female Strawweight Championship. She defended this title two times. She also won the Top FC Strawweight Championship on July 22, 2017. By the time she joined the UFC, she had an amazing record of 16 wins and only 1 loss.
Joining the UFC
Zhang made her UFC debut on August 4, 2018, winning against Danielle Taylor. She continued her winning streak in the UFC, defeating Jessica Aguilar and Tecia Torres.
Becoming a UFC Champion
On August 31, 2019, Zhang Weili fought Jéssica Andrade for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. She won the fight very quickly in the first round, becoming the new champion. This made her the first UFC champion from China! This win also earned her a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
Defending Her Title
For her first title defense, Zhang faced former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk on March 7, 2020. This was a very tough fight, and many people called it one of the greatest women's MMA fights ever. Zhang won by a split decision, successfully defending her title. This fight also earned her a "Fight of the Night" award.
On April 24, 2021, Zhang defended her title against Rose Namajunas. She lost the fight by knockout in the first round. They had a rematch on November 6, 2021, but Zhang lost again by a split decision.
Winning the Title Again
Zhang Weili had a rematch with Joanna Jędrzejczyk on June 11, 2022. Zhang won this fight with a spinning backfist knockout in the second round. This impressive win earned her another "Performance of the Night" award.
On November 12, 2022, Zhang fought Carla Esparza for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship again. Zhang won the fight by submission in the second round, becoming the champion for the second time! After this win, she was promoted to a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
Zhang defended her title against Amanda Lemos on August 19, 2023. She won by a unanimous decision after a very strong performance. She landed many more strikes than her opponent, setting a new record for women's UFC fights. This win also earned her a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
On April 13, 2024, Zhang defended her title against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300, winning by unanimous decision. Her most recent title defense was on February 9, 2025, at UFC 312, where she defeated Tatiana Suarez by unanimous decision.
Beyond Fighting
Outside of fighting, Zhang Weili has worked with several big brands. In May 2020, she became a brand ambassador for Estée Lauder cosmetics in China. She also appeared in a commercial for Audi. In 2021, she became a global ambassador for Hyperice, a recovery technology company. She has also had deals with clothing brands like Under Armour and Heilan Home, and companies like JingDong and Wusu Beer.
Amazing Achievements
Zhang Weili has achieved many great things in her career:
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Women's Strawweight Champion (Two times, Current)
- She has successfully defended her title four times in total.
- She is tied for the most title fight wins in UFC Women's Strawweight history (6 wins).
- She was the first Chinese champion in UFC history.
- She won "Fight of the Night" once (vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk 1).
- She won "Performance of the Night" four times (vs. Jéssica Andrade, Joanna Jędrzejczyk 2, Carla Esparza & Amanda Lemos).
- She is tied for the second most wins in UFC Women's Strawweight division history (10 wins).
- She holds the record for the largest difference in strikes landed in a women's UFC fight (vs. Amanda Lemos).
- UFC Women's Strawweight Champion (Two times, Current)
- Kunlun Fight
- KLF Female Strawweight Champion (One time)
- She defended this title two times.
- KLF Female Strawweight Champion (One time)
- Top Fighting Championship
- Top FC Strawweight Champion (One time)
She has also won many awards from different sports news outlets, including:
- "Fight of the Year" for her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk in 2020 from many sources like MMAJunkie.com, MMA Fighting, ESPN, and Yahoo! Sports.
- "Female Fighter of the Year" in 2022 from MMAJunkie.com, Cageside Press, BT Sport, ESPN, and Yahoo! Sports.
- "Women's MMA MVP" in 2022 and 2024 from Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Mixed martial arts record
Professional record breakdown | ||
29 matches | 26 wins | 3 losses |
By knockout | 11 | 1 |
By submission | 8 | 0 |
By decision | 7 | 2 |
Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 26–3 | Tatiana Suarez | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 312 | February 9, 2025 | 5 | 5:00 | Sydney, Australia | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 25–3 | Yan Xiaonan | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 300 | April 13, 2024 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 24–3 | Amanda Lemos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 292 | August 19, 2023 | 5 | 5:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
Win | 23–3 | Carla Esparza | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 281 | November 12, 2022 | 2 | 1:05 | New York City, New York, United States | Won the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
Win | 22–3 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | KO (spinning backfist) | UFC 275 | June 12, 2022 | 2 | 2:28 | Kallang, Singapore | Performance of the Night. |
Loss | 21–3 | Rose Namajunas | Decision (split) | UFC 268 | November 6, 2021 | 5 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Loss | 21–2 | Rose Namajunas | KO (head kick) | UFC 261 | April 24, 2021 | 1 | 1:18 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Lost the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 21–1 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | Decision (split) | UFC 248 | March 7, 2020 | 5 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
Win | 20–1 | Jéssica Andrade | TKO (knees and punches) | UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Zhang | August 31, 2019 | 1 | 0:42 | Shenzhen, China | Won the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
Win | 19–1 | Tecia Torres | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 235 | March 2, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
Win | 18–1 | Jessica Aguilar | Submission (armbar) | UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Ngannou 2 | November 24, 2018 | 1 | 3:41 | Beijing, China | |
Win | 17–1 | Danielle Taylor | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 227 | August 4, 2018 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
Win | 16–1 | Bianca Sattelmayer | Submission (armbar) | Kunlun Fight MMA 15 | October 3, 2017 | 1 | 3:29 | Seoul, South Korea | Catchweight (119 lb) bout. |
Win | 15–1 | Marilia Santos | TKO (elbows) | Kunlun Fight MMA 14 | August 28, 2017 | 2 | 3:20 | Yantai, China | Defended the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 14–1 | Seo Ye-dam | TKO (elbow and punches) | Top FC 15 | July 22, 2017 | 2 | 1:35 | Seoul, South Korea | Won the vacant Top FC Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 13–1 | Aline Sattelmayer | Decision (unanimous) | Kunlun Fight MMA 12 | June 1, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Yantai, China | Defended the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 12–1 | Simone Duarte | TKO (punches) | Kunlun Fight MMA 11 | May 25, 2017 | 1 | 2:29 | Jining, China | Won the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 11–1 | Nayara Hemily | Submission (guillotine choke) | Kunlun Fight MMA 9 | February 25, 2017 | 1 | 0:41 | Sanya, China | |
Win | 10–1 | Veronica Grenno | TKO (knees to the body) | Kunlun Fight MMA 8 | January 2, 2017 | 1 | 1:50 | Sanya, China | |
Win | 9–1 | Karla Benitez | KO (punch) | Kunlun Fight MMA 7 | December 15, 2016 | 1 | 2:15 | Beijing, China | Defended the Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 8–1 | Maíra Mazar | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Kunlun Fight 53 | September 24, 2016 | 1 | 4:11 | Beijing, China | Won the vacant Kunlun Fight Strawweight Championship. |
Win | 7–1 | Emi Fujino | TKO (doctor stoppage) | Kunlun Fight 49 | August 7, 2016 | 2 | 2:51 | Tokyo, Japan | Return to Strawweight. |
Win | 6–1 | Liliya Kazak | KO (head kick) | Kunlun Fight 47 | July 10, 2016 | 2 | 4:13 | Nanjing, China | |
Win | 5–1 | Alice Ardelean | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Kunlun Fight MMA 5 | May 22, 2016 | 2 | 4:41 | Seoul, South Korea | Flyweight debut. |
Win | 4–1 | Svetlana Gotsyk | TKO (punches) | Kunlun Fight 38 | February 21, 2016 | 2 | 2:29 | Pattaya, Thailand | |
Win | 3–1 | Samantha Jean-Francois | TKO (punches) | Kunlun Fight 35 | December 19, 2015 | 1 | 3:37 | Luoyang, China | |
Win | 2–1 | Mei Huang | Submission (rear-naked choke) | CKF 10/27 | October 27, 2014 | 1 | 0:40 | Qian'an, China | Catchweight (132 lb) bout. |
Win | 1–1 | Shuxia Wu | Submission (armbar) | CKF 10/14 | October 14, 2014 | 1 | 1:56 | Qian'an, China | Catchweight (132 lb) bout. |
Loss | 0–1 | Meng Bo | Decision (unanimous) | China MMA League | November 9, 2013 | 2 | 5:00 | Xuchang, China | Strawweight debut. |
See also
In Spanish: Weili Zhang para niños
- List of current UFC fighters
- List of female mixed martial artists