Dana White looking serious during an interview. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube
Everything indicates that Mackenzie Dern , the strawweight champion (up to 52,2 kg), will have a different fight than she imagines. At UFC 330 , the Brazilian defended her belt for the first time by convincingly defeating Gillian Robertson by unanimous decision, and thus, many projected that her next opponent would be Zhang Weili, the former queen of the division. However, Dana White gave a less than positive update on the MMA star's future.
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In the post- UFC 330 press conference , when questioned about the Chinese fighter's return to action, the official was open and pessimistic. Zhang's last fight, at age 35, took place in November. On that occasion, the athlete decided to relinquish her strawweight title to challenge champion Valentina Shevchenko in the flyweight division (up to 56,7 kg), was dominated, and lost by unanimous decision.
Due to the tough setback in the superfight, fans and professionals considered Zhang's return to the strawweight division to face Mackenzie in an attempt to regain the belt a certainty. However, the Chinese fighter seems distant from MMA, making Dana lament her situation.
“Yes, I agree. No. We have nothing on her. Yes, we are still working with her. We love her and hope she comes back soon,” said the UFC president.
Zhang Weili promotes UFC event. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
Zhang Weili's history in MMA
Zhang Weili, 35, is a former UFC strawweight champion and a legend in MMA. The Chinese fighter began her career in the sport in 2013 and made her UFC debut in 2018.
In this sport, the athlete built a record of 26 wins and four losses. Her main victories were over Amanda Lemos , Carla Esparza , Jéssica Andrade , Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Tatiana Suarez , Tecia Torres, and Yan Xiaonan.
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