Beat 35-year-old Polish veteran Joanna at UFC 275

　　Zhang Weili: Reclaiming the gold belt is the real return

　　As Zhang Weili seized the opportunity to turn around and punch Joanna's right neck with a whip, the opponent fell straight into the octagonal cage, and Zhang Weili's victory was declared in the match.

At noon on June 12, UFC 275 started in Singapore. Chinese player Zhang Weili and Joanna had a high-profile rematch. "Version 3.0" Zhang Weili became the undisputed winner.

　　Zhang Weili clasped her fists on the stage

　　Zhao Xintong watching and cheering

　　Accompanied by the music of "A Smile from the Sea", Zhang Weili appeared on the stage with ease, her eyes were very firm, and she even looked at the camera.

Joanna prayed before the game on the sidelines of the game after preparing for the game and checking.

　　In the UFC 248 match in 2020, Zhang Weili defeated Joanna by a split decision to defend her title.

After that, Zhang Weili suffered a two-game losing streak against Ross and failed to regain the championship gold belt, and Joanna also hung up the free card for a long time after losing to Zhang Weili.

Now Joanna and Zhang Weili are fighting again in the UFC 275 battle, just to get the title challenge.

　　Recalling the showdown two years ago, it was officially named the best match of the year by the UFC at the end of the year. It can be seen that the strength gap between Zhang Weili and Joanna is very small and indistinguishable.

　　The winner of yesterday's fight will be eligible to challenge new strawweight champion Carla Esparza.

In addition to the strong dialogue, this second battle has been given more meaning.

　　It is worth mentioning that Zhao Xintong, a new force in Chinese snooker, also made a special trip to the scene to cheer for Zhang Weili, and the champions cheered the champions.

In fact, snooker and UFC have the same purpose. Snooker relies on defense and accurate offense, while UFC also needs to have resistance and excellent defense. When an opportunity comes, it is better to seize it. It is best to win with one blow.

　　take the initiative

　　Zhang Weili KO opponent

　　This matchup was a three-round match. After the first round, both of them were very cautious, and neither of them made any moves easily. Zhang Weili immediately attacked after the opponent kicked the air.

However, she then exerted her strength, and at 3 minutes and 20 seconds, Joanna fell down, and then smashed her opponent. The two fought in the octagonal cage.

　　Although Joanna wanted to stand up for a while, Zhang Weili fell down again, and Zhang Weili immediately hit her opponent with her fist, using her body to suppress the opponent while punching her opponent.

Joanna stood up again, and Zhang Weili hugged and fell again. It was also the third successful hug and fall in the first round. Zhang Weili pressed the opponent hard and hit the opponent continuously while sitting on the opponent's body. Joanna supported her hard.

　　After the start of the second round, Zhang Weili had taken the initiative on the field, and the audience cheered "Weili".

Zhang Weili used her kicks to deal with her opponent, and hit her opponent with a backhand in the counterattack.

With 2 minutes and 33 seconds left in the round, Zhang Weili turned around and punched her opponent's right neck with a whip. Joanna fell straight on the ring and did not stand up immediately. Zhang Weili won by KO, and many audience members stood up and hugged her. Head exclaimed.

　　Hugs Joanna after the game

　　Hope to come back after taking the "belt"

　　After Zhang Weili won, she knelt down and hugged her opponent, which was really heartwarming.

After defeating Joanna, Zhang Weili said: "I am playing a game with myself, Joanna is not my opponent, I can only become a better me if I defeat myself. This is a legacy, we are not playing games, we are playing The power of women in the octagonal cage!"

　　While paying tribute to Joanna, Zhang Weili also called for the current women's strawweight champion Carla, who had just defeated Rose not long ago, saying that she would play a fair and just match on a neutral venue to hit the gold belt.

Earlier, Zhang Weili said in an interview: "I will fly to the United States after this game and prepare for the next stage. I have already booked the ticket on the 14th. I hope to come back after taking the 'belt'."

　　Joanna's eyes were swollen again. The 35-year-old Polish veteran said in tears, "I'm going to retire and live another life. Thank you to everyone who supports me." She left the gloves in the octagon. Cage, the audience at the scene also gave Joanna a round of applause.

　　Obviously, Zhang Weili fulfilled her promise.

But for her lofty aspirations, the biggest challenge is yet to come. Only by regaining the gold belt can Zhang Weili truly return.

This group of texts / reporter Zhang Yingchuan coordinator / Wang Yong photo / Xinhua News Agency

　　Memory

　　Fame and bad reviews made her grow

　　On March 8, 2020, a game far away in Las Vegas, the United States made the Chinese people boil.

Zhang Weili's name, which happened to coincide with "her power", spread all over the Internet during this women's festival.

　　It was Zhang Weili's first title defense against the Polish Joanna.

The game was played over five rounds and 25 minutes.

At the end, Zhang Weili's eyes were bleeding nonstop, and Joanna's forehead was swollen and deformed.

　　It wasn't until the referee raised Zhang Weili's hand that she was confident that she had done it.

"It's not easy. It took several countries to get here." She held the microphone and said almost choked.

　　During the difficult period of fighting against the new crown epidemic, Zhang Weili displayed both "China's power" and a "Chinese attitude" that was neither humble nor arrogant in the world arena, which was exactly what the public urgently needed at that time.

　　Overwhelming praise poured in from all directions.

　　She came from a coal miner's family, retired Sanda athlete, and worked as a kindergarten teacher and a security guard in the "Beijing Drift" career... These "life labels" that accompanied Zhang Weili have also become strong evidence that a grass-roots woman's tenacious growth has become a great weapon.

Under the predictable popularity, Zhang Weili was "conferred a god".

　　After returning to China, she found that she could be recognized even when she went out to buy something.

"Maybe you have to pay more attention to yourself, is this the burden of idols?" She laughed.

　　Just as victory and defeat go hand in hand, the pursuit and attack of the Internet are two sides of the same name.

How fervently you are sought after, the fiercer the crusade you are subjected to.

　　Zhang Weili experienced this roller coaster-like feeling for the first time after losing 78 seconds to Ross in 2021.

　　"Can't afford to lose" and "floating"... The Internet is full of disappointment, dissatisfaction and criticism.

Those commercial activities and variety shows that she once participated in have become "real hammers" who want to quickly realize commercial value and abandon training.

　　"It feels like I'm sorry for the whole world (feeling)."

　　At that time, Zhang Weili was very concerned about other people's evaluations, and even more concerned about negative evaluations; she did not understand why many people who were still enthusiastically supporting and praising her before the game, why they spoke ill of each other instantly.

　　"There are also many people who support you, but all you can see at the time are scolding you." She knew that being caught in this vortex was harmful and unhelpful, but she still couldn't help reading the bad comments, and even hit back, tossing and turning for several nights.

　　At the most painful time, she told Cai Xuejun, "I want to delete all social media."

But Cai Xuejun knew that for Zhang Weili, who loves expressing herself, "resigning from the Internet" could neither do nor solve the problem.

He instructed her: "These things exist in the breath, and you have to accept it."

　　A strong heart is not only needed in the octagonal cage, but also in the long life.

　　After the second battle with Ross, Zhang Weili also crossed a lot of hurdles in her heart, "What if I like you, what if I hate you, I can just be myself."

　　On the evening of June 3, she sent a Dragon Boat Festival blessing video on Weibo, showing her recent weight loss and fat reduction results.

Compared with before departure from Beijing, the whole person is much tighter, and the muscles are clearly defined, which attracts envy and asks for advice.

Her hair was also braided.

　　"I found a problem, it's not that you change after your hair is cut, it's that after you really change your heart, you can do whatever you want."