Tag: Zhang Weili

Zhang Weili Says Loud Boos At UFC 261 Impacted Performance

Zhang Weili admits that the hostile Florida crowd did impact her performance in the UFC 261 co-main event. When fans boo a fighter during a UFC event, it’s uncertain if the fans expect those boos to actually make a difference or if it’s merely an…

Zhang Weili admits that the hostile Florida crowd did impact her performance in the UFC 261 co-main event. When fans boo a fighter during a UFC event, it’s uncertain if the fans expect those boos to actually make a difference or if it’s merely an expression of disdain. After all, it’s not as if it’s […]

Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel Refers To Zhang Weili As ‘Li Na’

Ari EmanuelThe UFC went public on Thursday, which, unfortunately for Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, led to a very public slip-up. The UFC owner was discussing the company’s decision to go public and the hugely successful UFC 261 event. The card was co-headlined by the UFC’s first Chinese champion, Zhang Weili. However, Emanuel didn’t appear to know […]

Ari Emanuel

The UFC went public on Thursday, which, unfortunately for Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, led to a very public slip-up.

The UFC owner was discussing the company’s decision to go public and the hugely successful UFC 261 event. The card was co-headlined by the UFC’s first Chinese champion, Zhang Weili. However, Emanuel didn’t appear to know who she was (H/T MiddleEasy).

“Well, here’s what I would say to you, even during the pandemic—we didn’t have live audiences, we didn’t have commercial PPVs—we beat our EBITA [earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization] number by 10 percent,” Emanuel told CNBC.

“Now with the re-opening, you just saw we had live audiences for the first time. In Houston, we’re going to have a live audience. In July we’re having another live audience. Our direct-to-consumer business on Fight Pass is up 40 percent. Our commercial numbers and marketing numbers are up. China is going to be bigger than ever.

“Actually, because of the fight—even though our Chinese champion lost, Li Na—there was over a billion video views out of China.”

If you’re wondering who Li Na is, don’t worry, you’re not alone. There is not – nor has there ever been – a Li Na on the UFC roster. However, it’s possible that Emanuel did confuse Zhang with Liang Na, though how he could mix up a headliner and champion with someone who fought in the very first fight on the card is anyone’s guess.

The one thing Emanuel did get right is that the Chinese champion did in fact lose her title at UFC 261. Coming off a ‘Fight-of-the-Year’ favourite against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Zhang was felled by a Rose Namajunas headkick early in the first round.

Immediately after the loss, Zhang expressed interest in a rematch against Namajunas, something that seemed to peak the interest of Dana White. Whether that fight actually comes to fruition remains to be seen. If Emanuel will know who Zhang is by then is an entirely other question.

Do you think Ari Emanuel knows who Zhang Weili is?

Rose Namajunas Addresses Talks Of Immediate Rematch Against Zhang

Rose Namajunas has never been one to shy away from a rematch. Newly crowned two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is no stranger to the rematch. The first time she claimed strawweight gold over Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 217, she ran it back …

Rose Namajunas has never been one to shy away from a rematch. Newly crowned two-time UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas is no stranger to the rematch. The first time she claimed strawweight gold over Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 217, she ran it back with the “Boogeywoman” in her first title defense at UFC 223, emerging […]

Namajunas Admits Pre-Fight Controversy Made UFC 261 Fight Harder

New UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas admits that the controversy surrounding her UFC 261 bout against Zhang Weili did add an unexpected layer of difficulty to the fight. Leading up to the UFC 261 strawweight title bout between Zhang Weili and Ro…

New UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas admits that the controversy surrounding her UFC 261 bout against Zhang Weili did add an unexpected layer of difficulty to the fight. Leading up to the UFC 261 strawweight title bout between Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas, Namajunas was on record in making some anti-communist remarks and linking her […]

Zhang Weili Issues Statement Following UFC 261 Loss

Zhang Weili has issued a statement following her TKO loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261. Zhang Weili came out on the losing end for the first time in eight years when she dropped the UFC strawweight championship to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261. It was a fl…

Zhang Weili has issued a statement following her TKO loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261. Zhang Weili came out on the losing end for the first time in eight years when she dropped the UFC strawweight championship to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261. It was a flush head kick that spelled the demise of […]

Zhang Weili Releases Statement Following Loss To Rose Namajunas

Zhang WeiliNow-former strawweight champion Zhang Weili has spoken out on social media for the first time since her devestating knockout loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261 on Saturday night. Weili made her first appearance in the octagon since her epic war with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 last year. Many questioned what the champion would […]

Zhang Weili

Now-former strawweight champion Zhang Weili has spoken out on social media for the first time since her devestating knockout loss to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261 on Saturday night.

Weili made her first appearance in the octagon since her epic war with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 last year. Many questioned what the champion would bring to the table in her first fight in a little over a year, and those questions were answered as Namajunas knocked out Weili with a huge head kick just minutes into the first round.

After suffering from the agony of defeat, Weili took to Instagram to reach out to her fans, seeming humble in the process.

“I want to congratulate Rose on her victory,” Weili said in an Instagram post. “She bounced back from her defeat. I believe I will also come back, only beat a great champion, to become a legend, and beat a legend.”

Weili and Namajunas had some uncomfortable moments leading up to their bout, with “Thug Rose” injecting politics into the conversation based on her own experiences with communism; which is prevalent in Weili’s native China. After the fight, it appeared that the two had made amends, with Namajunas showing tremendous respect for the defeated champion.

Namajunas will now begin her second stint as the UFC’s women’s strawweight champion, a title that she hasn’t held since May 2019. Namajunas could conceivably offer Weili an immediate rematch, as she did with Jedrzejczyk during her first reign as strawweight queen; for now that remains unclear.

As for Weili, there are plenty of options and opportunities for her to regain her throne and get the belt back. She could rematch Namajunas or battle Jedrzejczyk in a title eliminator bout and a rematch of their first battle last year.

On top of scoring the big knockout win, Namajunas also earned a Performance of the Night $50,000 bonus from UFC president Dana White following the event.

What was your reaction to Rose Namajunas vs. Zhang Weili? What do you think is next for both fighters?