UFC 268: Zhang Weili says American fans booed her ‘because I’m not one of them’
- Chinese former strawweight champion says training with simulated boos helped her prepare mentally for Rose Namajunas rematch
- ‘I’m just not from the same country. So with that thought in mind, I feel a lot better,’ admits Zhang, who lost split decision to American in New York
Saturday night’s UFC 268 co-main event was nothing like the hostile environment Zhang Weili faced in Jacksonville, Florida for her first fight against Rose Namajunas.
But there were still some fans inside Madison Square Garden who jeered the Chinese former champion (21-3), who pushed American Namajunas (10-4) all the way but fell just short in a split decision loss.
Zhang revealed before the rematch that her team had been simulating the atmosphere from UFC 261 in April during her training sessions at Fight Ready in Arizona, piping in boos through loudspeakers, with teammates hurling verbal abuse at her, in a bid to steel the mental side of her game.
“I think the training is definitely helpful,” she said at the UFC 268 post-fight press conference. “When I got booed, I feel like I understand it’s not that they don’t like me, it’s just because I’m not one of their countrymen, countrywomen.
“So I’m just not from the same country. So with that thought in mind, I feel a lot better. I just remind myself when they’re booing me, I take a deep breath and get their energy.”
