Tag: Zhang Weili

Zhang Weili vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk? Dana White digs it

After Dana White chimed in expressing his interest, it appears all that’s left in making a big strawweight grudge match is figuring out the details.

They don’t have a date, time, or place yet, but UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] and former titleholder [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] clearly want to fight each other.

And their promoter has made it just as clear it’s a fight he wants to see.

Jedrzejczyk, who earned her way back into the 115-pound title discussion with a recent and impressive five-round victory over Michelle Waterson, made waves recently when she told the South China Morning Post that she’s ready to fight, and that if it means she’ll get a title shot, she’s willing to fight Zhang, the first Chinese-born UFC champion, on her home turf.

“Anywhere, anytime,” she told the Post. “Bangkok, Sri Lanka, Warsaw, Toronto, it doesn’t matter where. For me, it doesn’t matter. I will make my way. Even if we have to take a canoe, I will make it to China and beat the (expletive) out of her.”

Wang, for her part, responded on her Instagram page that she is “ready now.”

A red-hot current champ has beef with a rebounding former champ? Is that … do we hear … yes, that’s Dana White’s music.

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The UFC president made it clear on his Instagram on Monday that this is a fight he’ll make as soon as he can. 

View this post on Instagram

This is going to be a VERY fun fight!!!!!

A post shared by Dana White (@danawhite) on

Sounds like we know what one of the first hot fights of 2020 will be.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Zhang Weili hints at Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight: ‘I still await the battle contract’

In a recent Instagram post, UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili has hinted that Joanna Jedrzejczyk might be her first title defense.

Recently crowned UFC strawweight queen [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] is enjoying the increased exposure of being a UFC champion, but it won’t be long before her attention turns to her first title defense. And her latest Instagram post may have hinted at the identity of her first challenge as champion.

Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) posted on Tuesday night to share her endorsement for a protein powder company, with a short video of her talking about the product. But it was the accompanying message that may have revealed who her next opponent might be.

After plugging her protein, Weili finished her message with a short addendum: “*also I still await the battle contract.”

That was followed by three emojis: a fist, a pen and a Polish flag, which suggests that a matchup with [autotag]Joanna Jedrzejczyk[/autotag] looks likely, and Weili is simply waiting for the bout agreement to land in her inbox (via Instagram):

Back in October, Weili suggested that former strawweight champ Jedrzejczyk  (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) wouldn’t be her first-choice opponent, with reigning flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko her preferred next fight.

Speaking at UFC at ESPN 6, Weili said, “I definitely want to fight the best of the best, and I think Valentina is the best among the female athletes, so that’s why I want to fight her.”

But it seems the UFC may opt to give Weili a title defense, rather than a step up, in her next outing, and she said that if Jedrzejczyk was the UFC matchmakers’ choice, she’d roll with it.

“For my own division, Rose (Namajunas) is a very good fighter and I respect her a lot,” she said. “But if the UFC wants me to fight Joanna, no problem. I can definitely beat her.”

It will all depend on whose name appears on the sheet when the “battle contract” comes through. But it looks like Weili is ready to go, whomever she’s matched up with.

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Triple Take: What makes sense for Rose Namajunas’ UFC return fight?

There are options out there for Rose Namajunas – it’s just a matter of which one makes sense.

Former UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas has been out of action since May, when she lost her title to Jessica Andrade by knockout via a devastating slam. In the immediate aftermath, the 27-year-old Namajunas expressed doubt about fighting ever again. But six months later, she’s talking about a return to the cage and says the UFC has even offered her a fight that she’s considering. So what makes sense for “Thug” Rose’s return? Farah Hannoun, Nolan King and Mike Bohn sound off in this edition of “Triple Take.”

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Farah Hannoun: Fight Tatiana Suarez

Now that Rose Namajunas is rejuvenated, it shouldn’t take long for her to climb back to the top, considering her accolades in the division. But since she didn’t determine an exact date for a return, a No. 1 contender fight with [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] to determine the next strawweight title challenger should be next.

Suarez also has been sidelined as she recovers from an injury, but is on the cusp of title contention. With champion Zhang Weili likely to face former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk next, a fight between Namajunas and Suarez to determine who’s next would work out well. Despite losing her last fight, Namajunas was in the middle of a striking masterclass against Jessica Andrade before a pivotal mistake cost her.

While an argument can be made for both Namajunas and Suarez to get the next title shot, neither has given a date for a return, but their timelines could coincide. A very worthy challenger would emerge from such a high-caliber fight, which is why it makes so much sense.

Next page – Nolan King: Rematch Jessica Andrade

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