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Zhang Weili No Longer Feels Friendly Towards “Fake” Rose Namajunas

Former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili has slammed “fake” Rose Namajunas for her pre-UFC 261 comments, claiming she doesn’t feel “friendly” towards her rival anymore.

Before entering the Octagon with Namajunas in April, Zhang hadn’t ta…

Former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Zhang Weili has slammed “fake” Rose Namajunas for her pre-UFC 261 comments, claiming she doesn’t feel “friendly” towards her rival anymore.

Before entering the Octagon with Namajunas in April, Zhang hadn’t tasted defeat since her professional mixed martial arts debut in 2013. After 21 consecutive victories, “Magnum” found herself at the top of the UFC’s 115-pound mountain and with a successful defense under her belt.

After dethroning Jéssica Andrade in front of her home crowd in Shenzhen, China, Zhang retained her belt in a five-round Fight of the Year war against former champ Joanna J?drzejczyk. After a memorable first defense, Zhang hoped to emerge victorious again in front of the first UFC crowd in over a year. But inside the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, the 32-year-old was knocked out by Namajunas.

Now over six months later, Zhang has her chance for redemption. In the UFC 268 co-main event, she’ll enter the cage with Namajunas for the second time. This time, she has no intention of exchanging pleasantries with the champion.

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Zhang Believes Namajunas Crossed The Line

A sizable chunk of the narrative heading into their UFC 261 clash was Rose Namajunas’ comments about Zhang Weili’s home country. Ahead of the fight, “Magnum” suggested she was keen on developing a friendship with the then-challenger after they threw hands (via the South China Morning Post). Any chance of that happening appeared to be dampened after Namajunas compared her fight with Zhang to a fight against communism, using the term “better dead than red.”

Having previously responded by describing her opponent’s comments as “a joke,” Zhang has once again condemned Namajunas. According to the #1-ranked strawweight, the champ made those remarks in order to stir up hatred towards “Magnum” from the fans. With that in mind, Zhang has no plans on a friendly embrace with her rival this weekend.

“I was bothered by what she had said,” Zhang told Yahoo! Sports. “The political comments Rose made got the audience not to support me. It was beyond [fair play]. It crossed a line. I don’t feel as friendly toward Rose as a fellow mixed martial artist as I did before. I have a lot more training and I have had a lot more focus on myself.”

Discussing the differences between her feuds with J?drzejczyk and Namajunas, Zhang suggested the Polish star was the opposite of “Thug Rose,” who she described as “fake.” Nevertheless, Zhang believes her disdain towards her upcoming opponent will only provide her more motivation heading into UFC 268.

“Joanna is very direct and blunt, but Rose is more fake and not very direct,” Zhang said. “Joanna is direct as could be, and I knew what I was dealing with. But Rose had a different way and it crossed a line. But it’s got me motivated.”

With Namajunas’ victory at UFC 261, she became the first woman in UFC history to regain a belt after previously losing it. Looking to follow in the champ’s footsteps, Zhang is confident she’ll have the gold wrapped around her waist again come November 6.

“It will show the spirit I have to overcome problems and find a way to be successful,” she said. “I am confident I will do it. Rose lost the belt and then regained it, and I feel I can do that, too.”

Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC 268, Zhang Weili or Rose Namajunas?

Continue Reading Zhang Weili No Longer Feels Friendly Towards “Fake” Rose Namajunas at MMA News.

Rose Namajunas Doesn’t Rule Out A “Money Move” Toward Boxing

UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas likes her chances if she were to eventually make the transition from MMA to boxing.

Namajunas is set to make her first title defense in her second stint as strawweight queen against Zhang Weili at UFC 268. Na…

UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas likes her chances if she were to eventually make the transition from MMA to boxing.

Namajunas is set to make her first title defense in her second stint as strawweight queen against Zhang Weili at UFC 268. Namajunas earned the belt over Weili with one of the most stunning knockouts of 2021, landing a brutal first-round head kick at UFC 261.

In the age of some MMA fighters turning their focus towards lucrative boxing matches, Namajunas feels her striking could result in some success down the line. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Namajunas hinted at a future move to the ‘sweet science’.

“If the money was there, that’d be cool,” Namajunas said. “We could try it out. But I love MMA, though. I’m so in love with grappling, with wrestling, the clinch, and kicking, all of it, mixing it up together. So I feel like if I were to do boxing, that would have to be probably a money move, I would say. But I love MMA.”

Rose Namajunas Is Open To Eventually Trying Out Boxing

Namajunas’ kickboxing skillset is arguably one of the most technical in the young history of the UFC strawweight division. She’s earned vicious knockouts over former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Jéssica Andrade during her illustrious career.

Namajunas’ comments come amidst the ongoing crossover between MMA and boxing, which is becoming more common over time. UFC legends such as Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort have found success in boxing during the later parts of their careers.

But Namajunas is still in the prime of her MMA career and many believe could be a top UFC strawweight for years to come. If she’s able to earn another dominant win over Weili, her stock could rise even further amongst the UFC fanbase.

How do you think Rose Namajunas would do in boxing?

Continue Reading Rose Namajunas Doesn’t Rule Out A “Money Move” Toward Boxing at MMA News.

Joanna J?drzejczyk Says Weili Zhang Is Not The Same Since Their Fight

Joanna J?drzejczyk does not think Weili Zhang is the same fighter since their 2020 bout.

For three years straight, every fight Joanna J?drzejczyk had been in was a title fight. She was the reigning strawweight champion from 2015-2017, so she knows …

Joanna J?drzejczyk does not think Weili Zhang is the same fighter since their 2020 bout.

For three years straight, every fight Joanna J?drzejczyk had been in was a title fight. She was the reigning strawweight champion from 2015-2017, so she knows a thing or two about fighting for the belt.

This time around, it will be Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang battling it out for the 115-pound championship. J?drzejczyk will be looking in from the outside but has some thoughts on the two fighters involved in the UFC 268 co-main event.

J?drzejczyk has an interesting take because she has faced both of these ladies before. Her last fight was against Zhang at UFC 248. Although J?drzejczyk lost that bout, she feels she may have taken a piece of Zhang with her.

“Somebody from my camp told me that Weili Zhang is not the same after our fight, and it happened. She lost via knockout very quick,” J?drzejczyk told The MMA Hour. “And I received the same message a few days ago, that she’s not the same anymore. I don’t know. I concur that she’s training really hard, and I know the Chinese mentality that she will be prepared very well.

Weili Zhang Joanna Jedrzejczyk — Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

“But the question is: Is her head going to handle this? We don’t know. But Rose, I’m happy for her. I’m happy for her. It’s a roller coaster: She won, she lost, she again.”

Joanna J?drzejczyk Makes Official Prediction For Namajunas/Zhang

Since J?drzejczyk feels this way about Zhang, she is taking Namajunas to win and defend the title on Nov. 6.

“I think Rose again,” J?drzejczyk said. “I said that last time that she’s going to win first round, and then it happened, and I feel like Rose is going to win.”

J?drzejczyk is not in any hurry to get back in the Octagon. She was recently removed from the rankings due to her inactivity. This fact is not bothering her, as she has made it clear she is waiting for the right moment to return.

The former champion also stated that she would like to be better compensated in her comeback appearance. Her removal doesn’t mean she is out to the UFC, the opposite really. She is still training and could return for the right fight.

Do you agree with Joanna J?drzejczyk, that Weili Zhang isn’t the same since their fight?

Continue Reading Joanna J?drzejczyk Says Weili Zhang Is Not The Same Since Their Fight at MMA News.

Zhang Thinks Namajunas Might Be Under More Pressure In Rematch

Weili Zhang is heading into her rematch with Rose Namajunas with a whole new outlook.

UFC 268 goes down on Saturday night live from Madison Square Garden in New York. This could be the biggest event of the year. The co-main event will feature a st…

Weili Zhang is heading into her rematch with Rose Namajunas with a whole new outlook.

UFC 268 goes down on Saturday night live from Madison Square Garden in New York. This could be the biggest event of the year. The co-main event will feature a strawweight title fight between Rose Namajunas and Weili Zhang. This fight is a rematch and Zhang is taking what she learned in the last fight and making the necessary alterations, both mentally and physically.

“After the fight, everybody was surprised by the result,” Zhang said on her YouTube channel. “Then Dana said there might be a rematch. The mentality I had before was to go there and learn from each other. Then I went and found out it wasn’t like that at all. So I think I need to take it really seriously now, see the fight like a war. In there, you can’t be distracted even for 0.01 seconds, whether it’s just before the fight or in camp.”

As for the physical preparation, Zhang has enlisted the help of former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. Zhang has been training with Cejudo and the pair have been issuing some warnings to Namajunas. The first fight ended early in the first round with a head kick that knocked out Zhang. Despite the nature of the loss, Zhang feels that the majority of the pressure still rests on Namajunas.

“Last time, there were all kinds of factors. I think this time I would focus more on myself instead of watching the outside stuff. After our first fight, my coach kept telling me that the next will mostly be about mental game,” Zhang said. “At this level, we’re all close technically. It’s all about who is more mentally steady. I think for the rematch, her psychological pressure might be greater than mine.”

If there is more pressure on the champion, then Namajunas might have a leg up. This is not her first rodeo as champ. She successfully defended her title once before, the first time she was champion. In fact, Namajunas is undefeated in New York and seems to thrive on the biggest stages. If Namajunas can pull off another win over Zhang at UFC 268, she could be securing a legacy for herself as the company’s strawweight queen.

Who do you think will take home the strawweight title at UFC 268?

Continue Reading Zhang Thinks Namajunas Might Be Under More Pressure In Rematch at MMA News.

UFC 268: Previewing Usman-Covington 2 and the Rest of the Card

While most fight fans are still digesting last weekend’s epic UFC 267 card in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates, the promotion is already serving up another heaped plate of MMA action on Saturday’s UFC 268 card in New York City…

Rose Namajunas Explains Why This Time As Champion Is Different

Rose Namajunas feels this time around as champion is different than the first.

Rose Namajuans is preparing for her first title defense since she reclaimed the strawweight crown. Namajunas will be taking on Weili Zhang in the co-main event of the UF…

Rose Namajunas feels this time around as champion is different than the first.

Rose Namajuans is preparing for her first title defense since she reclaimed the strawweight crown. Namajunas will be taking on Weili Zhang in the co-main event of the UFC 268 event to be held on Nov. 6. Although this is the first time Namajunas will defend the belt in this run, she has done it before. She was the champion back in 2017 before ultimately losing the belt to Jéssica Andrade.

Namajunas took some time to explain the differences she feels holding the belt now as opposed to the first time around.

“The first time I felt like it was a shackle and chain,” Namajunas told Ariel Helwani of The MMA Hour. “I was like—I had to fight, as opposed to, ‘This is what’s motivating me. This is what I want to do’ and all the possibilities that come with it.”

Namajunas is more acclimated to the fighting lifestyle since the last time she held the strap. Three years have passed, and Namajunas has put together some big wins. She feels more comfortable in the champion’s role and spoke about that as well.

“Obviously, just the fighting lifestyle I think expands your horizons, your opportunities tenfold as far as what you can do with your time and opportunities and things like that,” Namajunas said. “But I think the belt, sometimes, as you’re chasing the belt and you’re approaching it, you don’t really consider all of the pressure and things and all the extra responsibilities that come with it. But then you also learn how to say no sometimes. You learn how to prioritize your time and make sure you’re focused on just making sure you prioritize your training. But sometimes you feel like once you get it, you’ve made it or something, you know what I mean? It’s like, no, it’s just another step up on the ladder.”

Namajunas has been vocal in the past about her struggles with being a champion and having a passion for fighting. She was even called out by Dana White about not wanting to take a title shot. That is all in the past as she is close to extending her title run by getting past Zhang. Namajunas has the chance to prove that she is the rightful queen at 115 pounds in Madison Square Garden, the place she won the belt the first time around.

Do you think Rose Namajumas can keep her championship run alive at UFC 268?

Continue Reading Rose Namajunas Explains Why This Time As Champion Is Different at MMA News.