UFC 281: Zhang Weili says ‘nervous’ Carla Esparza is ‘afraid of losing’ as New York title bout looms
- China’s former champion seeks redemption – and the strawweight belt – against American champion Carla Esparza
- ‘She’ll want to bring me to the ground, but I don’t think it will do her any good,’ says Zhang ahead of New York city clash
Joanna Jedrzejczyk did not see the right fist of Zhang Weili coming and it’s a fair bet no one else in the UFC’s strawweight ranks did either.
China’s former world champion had played a nifty bait and switch in her rematch with Jedrzejczyk back in June, after often shifting attention in her interviews and press conferences to the work she had done on the mats at Thailand’s Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA gym.
Zhang had made her Polish opponent – as much as the world – believe she might be going in heavy on the ground work.
There was some – and it was effective – in the first round but what we saw at 2:28 of the second was pure “Magnum” and her unique brand of explosive violence brought the fight to a stunning conclusion – and as Jedrzejczyk (16-5) hit the canvas, the Chinese star notched up the 11th knockout of her career.
The million dollar question now is what version of the Chinese 33-year-old Zhang (22-3) will we see against Carla Esparza (19-6) at UFC 281 in New York City this weekend and – more’s the point – what version of the Chinese fighter will America’s reigning strawweight champion enter the cage expecting to see.
