Video: Zhang Weili gives speech in English on training for classic Joanna Jedrzejczyk bout
Zhang Weili’s fight with Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 was hailed by many as the greatest fight in women’s MMA history, and is still high in the running for 2020 Fight of the Year.
So much has changed in the world since Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) earned a stirring split-decision victory in which she retained her UFC strawweight belt that you might have forgotten the circumstances under which Zhang had to compete.
UFC 248 in Las Vegas on March 8 turned out to be the final event before the coronavirus caused a mass shutdown in the United States. But Weili’s home country of China felt the brunt of the virus long before it came to these shores, and she had to travel from Beijing to Thailand to Abu Dhabi in order to finally get into America for the fight.
Zhang has already built a fan base that transcends borders due to her tremendous fighting spirit. But she’s spent her time during the pandemic brushing up on her English, which will only help her become a star over here. The champion recently made her first public speech in English, and used the opportunity to tell her story of her experience getting to the country for what turned out to be an all-time classic fight.
You can hear Zhang tell her story in English in the video post below:
