Zhang Weili nearly delivered an early submission finish but instead settled for a unanimous decision win to defend her title in the UFC 300 co-main event.
In the first ever title fight between Chinese athletes, Zhang thought she had Yan Xiaonan down and out after applying a nasty rear-naked choke at the end of the opening round. Time ran out and Yan was allowed to return to her corner, even after she appeared completely out after the choke was released.
To her credit, Yan actually came storming back later in the fight but it was ultimately Zhang’s wrestling and grappling prowess that allowed her to secure the victory. The judges all scored the fight 49-45 with Zhang getting the nod for her second consecutive title defense.
“She’s so tough,” Zhang said about Yan. “I have so much respect for her. I would like for us to be good friends after the fight. I really thought she was out [after that rear-naked choke] but she bounced back very quickly.”
Zhang threw with power behind every punch to start the fight but Yan stood in the face of the fire, staying composed with her combinations and tagging the champion with some stiff shots. Zhang countered with a takedown before advancing to snatch a rear-naked choke that was locked on tight but Yan refused to tap.
Time ran out in the round but as Zhang released the submission, Yan appeared like she was unconscious momentarily before staggering back to her feet. Despite the near finish, Yan was allowed to continue but she found herself back on the canvas almost immediately with Zhang tossing her to the ground.
Zhang advanced her position, taking the back again but this time she began hammering away with a barrage of punches that had Yan covering up trying to survive. It looked like the fight might get stopped but referee Jason Herzog let it continue until Zhang decided to switch to a submission instead.
From another rear-naked choke attempt to an arm-triangle, Zhang was nearing another finish but Yan somehow muscled out of the position before the strawweights actually ended up back on the feet.
As the title fight moved into the third round, Yan finally turned the tables with a perfectly placed straight punch that briefly put Zhang down on the ground. After Zhang returned to her feet, another huge exchange unfolded with both fighters connecting but Yan landing with much better impact.
With Zhang slowing down and getting a little sloppy with her punches, Yan put her down again with another nasty combination. Zhang bounced back and then countered by closing the distance before dragging the fight back to the canvas again as she attempted to stop Yan’s momentum.
Zhang maintained constant pressure on top, raining down punches and hammer fists with Yan unable to escape a bad position. Even after a restart in the final round, Zhang wasted no time putting Yan down on the ground again where she was like a brick wall on top of her opponent.
As she kept peppering away with punches, Zhang did enough to stay on top and ensure she would secure the decision win and hold into her strawweight title.
At her best, Zhang remains one of the UFC’s most dominant champions, although she definitely had to fight to hold onto her belt on Saturday night. With this win, Zhang eliminates another top contender and awaits new challengers to come after her 115-pound belt.
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