UFC champ Zhang Weili has huge aspirations for her preventing profession transferring ahead, and needs to make it clear that her inactivity shouldn’t be her determination.
Zhang is about to return to motion this Saturday as she defends her strawweight title towards the undefeated Tatiana Suarez within the co-main occasion of UFC 312 in Sydney. In her most up-to-date outing, Zhang dominated Yan Xiaonan for a unanimous determination win at UFC 300 in April, however followers have puzzled why the two-time champ hasn’t competed since then. “Magnum” says it’s as a result of she thought the chance to change into a two-division champion was on the desk, however that by no means got here to fruition.
“This can be a very lengthy story, really,” Zhang advised MMA Combating through a Mandarin translator. “I wished to combat extra, however as a result of what UFC have organized for me, and in addition relying on my potential opponent, whether or not they need to combat me, once they need to combat me, in order that’s why I solely have fought one time final 12 months as a result of it’s out of my management.
“I work, I used to be fascinated about one other combat final 12 months, however there’s so many modifications that sure, I didn’t combat. That’s why I used to be within the Sphere in Vegas watching the combat between [Alexa] Grasso and Valentina [Shevchenko]. I used to be fascinated about preventing one other combat, however didn’t occur.”
Now, Zhang faces Suarez—who makes her first octagon look since an August 2023 submission win over former champ Jessica Andrade at UFC Nashville—in her second title protection. The 34-year-old Suarez has overcome severe accidents to place herself in place to compete for her first UFC title.
Regardless of her inactivity, Zhang believes the UFC made the best name in giving Suarez the shot over Virna Jandiroba, and believes the 10-0 competitor could also be her hardest take a look at to this point.
“I feel Tatiana could be very totally different from all my different opponents as a result of my different opponents usually are not as excessive degree in wrestling and grappling as Tatiana,” Zhang mentioned. “So preventing Tatiana really makes me extra targeted on my wrestling and grappling and makes me a greater fighter. This strain turned my motivation and makes me a greater fighter.”
Zhang is concentrated on the troublesome job at hand, however is considering her future as among the best fighters on the earth.
When requested if a win over Suarez could be her final combat at strawweight in lieu of a champ vs. champ combat with Valentina Shevchenko at 125 kilos, Zhang says she isn’t positive how the promotion will lean.
“I feel it’s nonetheless relying on UFC’s association as a result of quite a lot of occasions what I need to do shouldn’t be occurring so I can’t name the shot,” Zhang mentioned.
However, what if she might name the shot?
“Sure, I feel if I could make the choice, I feel it’s most likely my final combat [at 115 with a win].”
