W. Zhang was undefeated in Ultimate before her loss to R. Namajunas. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Two weeks after losing the strawweight belt (up to 52,1kg), Weili Zhang continues reflecting on the combat in UFC 261. The Chinese, who faced Rose namajunas at the event, he spoke about the hostile atmosphere in Jacksonville (USA) and points to the ‘loss of focus’ as a predominant factor for the result.
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“In the last fight against Joanna (Jedrzejczyk), although she trained in America, she is not North American. So we were on an equal level and no one was booed. This time, Rose was home and when I showed up at the event, the boos were really loud. It was the first time I went through this situation. And I didn't expect it to be so serious. Even if she had 70% of the audience on her side and only a small portion on my side, it wouldn't have been as loud. When my music started playing before I even showed up, it was already loud. I couldn't even hear the referee or my coach,” Zhang said in an interview with the Chinese press.
Willing to give a quick response, Weili Zhang want to retrieve the category title. Now, if you can get an immediate rematch against Rose namajunas, the hope is that the fight will take place in a ‘neutral location’, such as Abu Dhabi.
“She will definitely not come (to China). I've been waiting for her since July last year, after she recovered from her previous fight. I wanted to fight in December, in Abu Dhabi. I said, ‘We’re not going to fight in China, not in the US. Let’s find a city like Abu Dhabi in a neutral country so that it’s fair for both parties’,” continued the Chinese woman.
With the defeat to Namajunas in the UFC 261, Zhang was defeated for the first time in Ultimate. Hired in 2018, the Chinese athlete had five consecutive victories in the organization. The 31-year-old fighter has a record of 21 triumphs and two setbacks.
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