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In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.
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Zhang Weili
张伟丽.png
Zhang in 2022
Born (1989-08-13) August 13, 1989 (age 35)
Handan, Hebei, China
Native name 张伟丽
Other names Magnum
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
  • Xuejun Cai (MMA)
  • Pedro Jordão (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu)
  • Chong Xie (Hyperarch Fascia Training)
Rank Brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Pedro Jordão
Years active 2013–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 28
Wins 25
By knockout 11
By submission 8
By decision 6
Losses 3
By knockout 1
By decision 2

Zhang Weili (Chinese: 张伟丽; pinyin: Zhāng Wěilì; born August 13, 1990) is a Chinese professional mixed martial artist. She is known for her amazing skills in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she competes in the women's Strawweight division. Zhang is currently the UFC Women's Strawweight Champion, holding the title two times. She is also the first fighter from China to win a UFC championship. Zhang started her professional career in 2013 and used to be the champion in another fighting league called Kunlun Fight (KLF). As of September 2023, she is ranked #2 among all female UFC fighters, no matter their weight class.

Zhang's Early Life and Training

Zhang Weili was born in Handan, Hebei, China. Her dad used to work in a mine, and her mom is a housewife. She has an older brother who stopped his job to help Zhang with her fighting career. Now, he works at the gym where she trains.

Zhang started learning martial arts when she was very young, at just 6 years old. She began with Shaolin Kung Fu from a local teacher, inspired by Kung Fu movies. In primary school, she played many sports like running, football, and table tennis. When she was 12, her parents sent her to a special martial arts school in Handan. There, she trained in Sanda (a Chinese kickboxing style) and Shuai jiao (a Chinese wrestling style). She won Sanda championships in her home province of Hebei many times. After that, she was chosen for the Jiangsu province Sanda team. However, a back injury from training made her stop playing that sport early.

When she was 17, Zhang moved to Beijing. She worked different jobs, like a cashier at a supermarket, a kindergarten teacher, a security guard, and a hotel desk clerk. In 2010, she found a job as a fitness instructor at a gym in Beijing. This job allowed her to use the gym's equipment for free after it closed. During this time, she also started learning Brazilian jiu-jitsu after watching others practice it. Later, she worked at the front desk, which helped her meet fighters who trained there. One of them was Wu Haotian, who was one of the first Chinese MMA fighters and someone Zhang looked up to. In 2012, Haotian brought her to the Black Tiger Fight Club. There, coach Cai Xuejun saw her talent and started training her in MMA.

In a TV show in 2019, Zhang shared that Hong Kong action movie star Donnie Yen inspired her to compete in MMA. She said his 2007 movie Flashpoint was her first look at the sport of MMA. She also said that Ronda Rousey, especially her fight in 2013, made her want to quit her job and become a full-time MMA fighter.

Her Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Starting Her Career

Zhang Weili began her professional MMA career in 2013. Her first fight was a loss, but after that, she won 11 fights in a row! On May 25, 2017, she fought Simone Duarte for the Kunlun Fight Female Strawweight Championship. Zhang won this fight by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the second round, becoming the champion.

She defended her title for the first time on June 1, 2017, against Aline Sattelmayer. Zhang won by unanimous decision, meaning all the judges agreed she won.

On July 22, 2017, Zhang aimed for a second title. She fought Seo Ye-dam for the Top FC Strawweight Championship. She won this fight by TKO in the second round, adding another championship to her name.

Zhang defended her KLF title again on August 28, 2017, against Marilia Santos. She won by TKO in the second round.

She fought one more time for KLF, bringing her record to 16 wins and only 1 loss. She had an amazing 16-fight winning streak before joining the UFC.

Joining the UFC

Zhang made her UFC debut on August 4, 2018, at UFC 227 against Danielle Taylor. She won the fight by unanimous decision.

On November 24, 2018, Zhang fought Jessica Aguilar. She won by an armbar submission in the first round. A submission is when a fighter makes their opponent give up by using a hold.

Zhang then faced Tecia Torres on March 3, 2019, at UFC 235. She won this fight by unanimous decision.

Becoming UFC Strawweight Champion

Zhang fought Jéssica Andrade for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on August 31, 2019. This was a huge moment! She won the fight by TKO in the first round, becoming the new strawweight champion. She was the first UFC champion ever from China. This win also earned Zhang a "Performance of the Night" bonus award for her great fighting.

For her first title defense, Zhang faced former champion Joanna Jędrzejczyk on March 7, 2020, at UFC 248. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhang had to move her training camp from China to Thailand and then to Dubai to get her US visa. Zhang won this very close fight by split decision, meaning two judges thought she won and one thought her opponent won. This was her first successful title defense. This win also earned her a "Fight of the Night" award. Many experts called this one of the best women's MMA fights ever!

In her second title defense, Zhang fought former champion Rose Namajunas on April 24, 2021, at UFC 261. She lost the fight by knockout early in the first round after getting hit with a head kick.

After Losing the Title and Winning it Back

Zhang had a rematch with Rose Namajunas for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on November 6, 2021, at UFC 268. After a close fight, Zhang lost by split decision.

A rematch between Zhang and Joanna Jędrzejczyk happened on June 11, 2022, at UFC 275. Zhang won this fight by knockout with a spinning backfist in the second round! This win earned her another "Performance of the Night" award.

Zhang then fought the champion Carla Esparza for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281. Zhang won the fight and got her championship back by using a rear-naked choke submission in the second round. This win also earned her a "Performance of the Night" award. After this win, Zhang was promoted to a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Zhang defended her title against Amanda Lemos on August 19, 2023, at UFC 292. She won against Lemos by unanimous decision after showing a very strong performance. Zhang landed many more punches and kicks than Lemos, setting a new record for the biggest difference in strikes landed in a women's UFC fight. This impressive win also earned Zhang her fourth "Performance of the Night" award.

Zhang faced Yan Xiaonan on April 13, 2024, at UFC 300. She won the fight by unanimous decision.

Zhang is set to defend her title for the third time in a rematch against Tatiana Suarez on February 9, 2025, at UFC 312.

Other Activities

In May 2020, Zhang became a brand ambassador for the makeup company Estée Lauder in China. She was also chosen as a face for their new makeup line. In the same year, she appeared in a commercial for Audi cars. In 2021, she became a global ambassador for Hyperice, a company that makes recovery technology. She also has deals with clothing brands like Under Armour and Heilan Home, the online shopping company JingDong, and Wusu Beer.

Championships and Awards

Mixed Martial Arts

  • Ultimate Fighting Championship
    • UFC Women's Strawweight Championship (Two times, Current)
      • She has successfully defended her title three times in total.
        • One successful title defense in her first time as champion.
        • Two successful title defenses in her second time as champion.
      • She has the second most title fight wins in UFC Women's Strawweight history (5).
      • She was the first Chinese champion in UFC history.
    • Fight of the Night (One time) against Joanna Jędrzejczyk (first fight).
    • Performance of the Night (Four times) against Jéssica Andrade, Joanna Jędrzejczyk (second fight), Carla Esparza, and Amanda Lemos.
      • She is tied for fourth place for the most post-fight bonuses in UFC Women's Strawweight history (5).
    • She holds the record for the largest difference in strikes landed in a women's UFC fight (288 more strikes than her opponent) against Amanda Lemos.
    • She landed the most significant ground strikes in a UFC Women's Strawweight fight (96) against Amanda Lemos.
      • She landed the most total ground strikes in a UFC Women's Strawweight fight (225) against Amanda Lemos.
    • She landed the most total strikes in a UFC Women's Strawweight fight (296) against Amanda Lemos.
    • She has the third most top control time (time spent controlling her opponent on the ground) in UFC Women's Strawweight history (41 minutes, 4 seconds).
    • She is tied for fourth place for the most knockdowns in UFC Women's Strawweight history (3).
    • She has the third highest accuracy for significant strikes (53.5%) in UFC Women's Strawweight history.
    • She has the third highest striking difference (2.51) in UFC Women's Strawweight history.
    • She is tied for fourth place for the most takedowns landed in UFC Women's Strawweight history (25).
    • She has landed the sixth most significant strikes in UFC Women's Strawweight history (844).
      • She has landed the fifth most total strikes in UFC Women's Strawweight history (1320).
    • She has the fifth most strikes landed per minute in UFC Women's Strawweight history (5.66).
    • UFC Honors Awards
      • 2019: Nominated for "President's Choice Performance of the Year" for her fight against Jéssica Andrade.
      • 2020: Won "President's Choice Fight of the Year" for her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk (first fight).
      • 2022: Won "President's Choice Performance of the Year" for her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk (second fight). She was also nominated for "Fan's Choice Knockout of the Year" for that fight and "Fan's Choice Submission of the Year" for her fight against Carla Esparza.
    • UFC.com Awards
      • 2018: Ranked #7 Newcomer of the Year.
      • 2019: Named a "Top 10 Fighter of the Year".
      • 2020: Won "Fight of the Year" for her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk (first fight).
      • 2022: Ranked #4 "Fighter of the Year", won "Best Knockout of the First Half of the Year", and ranked #4 "Knockout of the Year" for her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk (second fight).
      • 2024: Ranked #9 "Fight of the Year" for her fight against Yan Xiaonan.

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Professional record breakdown
28 matches 25 wins 3 losses
By knockout 11 1
By submission 8 0
By decision 6 2
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
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. Fight of the Year (2020).
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.

Kickboxing Record

Kickboxing record
2 Wins (0 KOs), 2 Losses, 0 Draws
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time
2017-12-17 Loss China Guan Acui Kunlun Fight 68 Zunyi, China Decision 3 3:00
KLF Female 52.5 kg Tournament Final.
2017-12-17 Win China Chang Ningning Kunlun Fight 68 Zunyi, China Decision 3 3:00
KLF Female 52.5 kg Tournament Semi-Finals.
2017-12-17 Win Australia Alma Juniku Kunlun Fight 68 Zunyi, China Decision 3 3:00
KLF Female 52.5 kg Tournament Quafter-Finals.
2013-12-14 Loss Japan Satoko Sasaki Krush 35 Tokyo, Japan Decision (Unanimous) 3 3:00
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Weili Zhang para niños

  • List of current UFC fighters
  • List of female mixed martial artists
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