Reigning UFC strawweight world champion Zhang Weili may come in a small package, but she packs a big punch and plenty of power.
Fresh off her dominant unanimous decision victory over Amanda Lemos at UFC 292 in August, Zhang showed off some of that iconic strength by lifting up 7’1″ and 325-pound NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal in a clip, which you can see below, courtesy of Parry Punch on X.
115 pound UFC champ Zhang Weili picks up 300+ pound Shaq.
pic.twitter.com/NzTpBtmNRg
— Parry Punch (@ParryPunchNews) September 30, 2023
It’s not the first time Zhang Weili has shown off her strength by picking up someone more than twice her size. Last year, a video of ‘Magnum’ raising former UFC heavyweight world champion Francis Ngannou off the ground in a similar fashion went viral.
Nothing to see here…
Just Weili Zhang lifting a 293lbs Francis Ngannou
— Lewis Simpson (@LewisSimpsonMMA) November 3, 2022
What’s Next for Zhang Weili?
After suffering back-to-back losses against ‘Thug’ Rose Namajunas in 2021, Zhang Weili bounced back with three straight wins kicked off by a stunning second-round knockout against Joanna J?drzejczyk in a rematch of their 2020 classic. From there, ‘Magnum’ reclaimed the strawweight title with a rear-naked choke submission of two-time titleholder Carla Esparza at UFC 281.
With her decisive five-round performance against Amanda Lemos, Zhang improved her record to 8-2 inside the Octagon and 24-3 overall.
What comes next for ‘Magnum’ is yet to be determined, but the likeliest options have her competing against fellow countrywoman Yan Xiaonan or undefeated Covina, California native Tatiana Suarez.
“She’s good,” Zhang said of Suarez during the UFC 292 post-fight press event. “She’s undefeated. She’s a very good fighter. I think she can be a potential challenger next.”
Who would you like to see Zhang compete against in her next strawweight title defense?