ZHANG WEILI

Representing China, Zhang Weili established herself as a elite strawweight force through a background in Sanda and Shuai Jiao. She embarked on her professional mixed martial arts journey in 2013 and eventually became the inaugural UFC titleholder from her nation. As a two-time champion in the division, she refined her technical approach while training across Black Tiger Fight Club, Fight Ready, and Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA. Her versatility is evidenced by a switch stance and significant victories against high-level opponents like Jéssica Andrade, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, and Carla Esparza.

Entering the event with a professional record of 24-3-0, Zhang arrived carrying substantial momentum. Her recent performances featured a unanimous decision victory over Amanda Lemos and a submission win versus Carla Esparza. Prior to those successes, she secured a knockout triumph against Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Her previous activity also included two consecutive meetings with Rose Namajunas, resulting in a knockout loss and a split decision defeat.