Zhang Weili has been reflecting on the build-up to her first fight with Rose Namajunas ahead of the strawweight duo’s eagerly-anticipated rematch on November 5 at UFC 268.
In the lead-up, to UFC 261 Lithuanian-American Namajunas used the anti-communist phrase “better dead than red” when discussing Zhang who hails from China.
During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Zhang admitted that Namajunas’ anti-communist rhetoric had a profound impact on her and the crowd in attendance at UFC 261 back in April.
“I think it definitely affected me a little bit,” Zhang told Ariel Helwani. “The comments that Rose made, I think she was successful in making the audience boo me. But I think that’s my own problem because I should be concentrating on the fight and not the audience. I can’t control who the audience likes. So I’m becoming more focused on my own fight.”
“In my mind, I think that, yes, those comments crossed the line because I think all the audience, all the fighters, we all come together in the UFC because we all share the passion of the MMA sport,” Zhang continued. “In my mind, I’m coming here because I want to make friends because we all have the common love of martial arts. I think it’s not a good thing to mix sport with politics, but I think that’s maybe her plan. So in the beginning, I thought it was just kind of trash talk. It really didn’t affect me. But when I went out in the stadium and got booed, I think Rose wanted to use those comments to make the audience boo me.”
Zhang insists she will not be fazed by the crowd at UFC 268 next month.
“I have been to New York City once, but I’ve never been to Madison Square Garden,” Weili said. “I’m very much looking forward to the fight, and I’m also expecting there will be some Chinese audience that will want to go to cheer me. But I also adjusted my mentality. Even if the audience boos me, I will just think they like me.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)
Do you agree with Zhang Weili? Did Rose Namajunas cross the line with her anti-communist comments?