W. Zhang (photo) is the current UFC strawweight champion. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook @ufc
There are only a few days left to face Tatiana Suarez placeholder image in the co-main event of UFC 312, in a duel valid for the third defense of the organization's strawweight belt (up to 52,1 kg.), Weili Zhang has an interesting ambition for her future: to seek the flyweight title (up to 56,7 kg) in the next round. In fact, this possibility is one of the main reasons behind the Chinese fighter's hiatus, who has not fought since April 2024.
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On that occasion, Zhang defeated her compatriot yan xiaonan by unanimous decision in the legendary UFC 300. According to the fighter, she wanted to return to the octagon in 2024 for a fight with the winner of the duel between Valentina Shevchenko e Alexa grasso, but the negotiations did not work out.
“I was thinking about another fight last year, but there were so many changes that I didn’t fight. That’s why I was at the Sphere in Vegas watching the fight between (Alexa) Grasso and Valentina (Shevchenko). I was thinking about doing another fight, but it didn’t happen. I would have liked to have fought more, but because the UFC prepared me, and also depending on the conditions of my potential opponent, I only fought once last year. It was out of my control,” he said.
The champion Zhang Weili and the undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez placeholder image just faced off for the first time at the #UFC312 press conference!
Who leaves with the UFC strawweight title this Saturday? #WMMA #UFC pic.twitter.com/fKMbKBw3NM
— Women's MMA Rankings (@WMMARankings) February 6, 2025
Regarding her opponent, who is undefeated in 11 professional fights, Zhang was honest when analyzing the technical challenges brought by Suarez, known for her grappling skills.
“I think Tatiana is very different from all my other opponents because they are not as high level in wrestling and grapple as Tatiana. So fighting her actually makes me more focused on wrestling and grapple and makes me a better fighter. That pressure became my motivation and made me a better fighter,” said the champion.
Tatiana Suarez placeholder image after victory in UFC Nashville. Photo: Reproduction/Twitter @UFC
Finally, the Chinese fighter revealed a slight dissatisfaction with the direction that negotiations with the Ultimate have taken. In addition, she also expressed an interest in saying goodbye to the division after the fight against the North American.
“I think it still depends on the UFC deal because a lot of times what I want to do doesn’t happen, so I can’t decide. If I can make the decision, I think it will probably be my last fight (at 52,1 pounds with a win),” he concluded.
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