Zhang Weili stands as one of the most accomplished fighters in women’s mixed martial arts history. A two-time UFC strawweight champion, she has defeated a murderer’s row of opponents while cementing a reputation for extraordinary grit, technical striking, and an unbreakable will to win. Yet the path to glory has never been smooth. Weili has faced adversity in the cage that would have broken lesser athletes—battles that demanded not just physical skill, but deep reserves of mental toughness and strategic adaptability. This article examines the most challenging fights of her career, analyzing exactly how she overcame each obstacle to emerge victorious.

Early Test: The Andrade Submission in Shenzhen

When Zhang Weili arrived in the UFC, many questioned whether her dominance on the Chinese regional scene would translate to the world’s premier MMA organization. Her opponent for the title shot in August 2019, Jessica Andrade, was a proven force—a former champion known for her brute strength, relentless pressure, and devastating power. The fight at UFC Shenzhen was not only Weili’s first title opportunity, but also a crucible that would define her career.

From the opening bell, Andrade came forward with her signature aggression, landing heavy hooks and slamming Weili against the cage. In the first round, Weili absorbed significant punishment, including a hard right hand that knocked her to the canvas. For many fighters, such a moment would signal collapse. Instead, Weili demonstrated a poise that would become her hallmark. She weathered the storm, scrambled back to her feet, and used footwork to reset the distance. Rather than matching Andrade’s brawling style, she began to counter with precision—snapping jabs and low kicks that slowed the Brazilian’s forward march.

As the first round ended, Weili had survived the worst of Andrade’s power. In the second, she turned the tables entirely. She caught Andrade with a stinging left hook, then followed with a flurry of knees to the body in the clinch. Sensing Andrade’s fatigue, Weili executed a perfectly timed takedown, transitioning from half guard to mount with fluid ease. From there, she locked in a rear-naked choke and forced the tap at 4:17 of the second round. It was not just a win—it was a statement. Weili had taken Andrade’s best shots, remained calm under pressure, and finished the fight with technical superiority. The victory earned her the strawweight belt and silenced critics who had doubted her level of competition.

What Made It So Difficult

Andrade’s power and physicality made her a nightmare matchup. She had knocked out the previous champion, Rose Namajunas, in a similar fashion. Weili’s ability to survive the opening storm and adjust her strategy mid-fight demonstrated a maturity that many fighters take years to develop. This fight also proved she could win on the ground, an area where she had been relatively untested at the highest level.

The War of Attrition: Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248

Few fights in MMA history have matched the brutality and technical brilliance of Zhang Weili’s first title defense against Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 248 in March 2020. Jędrzejczyk was a former champion and one of the most decorated strikers in women’s MMA, with lightning-fast combinations and a seemingly endless gas tank. The fight was hyped as a clash between two elite strikers, and it delivered in ways no one could have anticipated.

Five Rounds of Hell

From the opening bell, both fighters stood in the pocket and traded heavy shots. Joanna landed crisp jabs and leg kicks, while Weili answered with powerful hooks and body punches. By the end of the first round, Weili had already absorbed several flush shots, including a spinning back fist that cracked her jaw. Her face showed damage, but she never retreated. Instead, she answered with a spinning back fist of her own and a brutal elbow that opened a massive hematoma on Joanna’s forehead—a swelling that grew grotesquely over the course of the fight.

Rounds two and three saw an escalation of violence. Weili pressed forward behind a steady jab, while Joanna circled and landed counters. The striking exchanges were so intense that both fighters appeared to slow as the fight wore on. Weili’s corner—led by coach Cordeiro—urged her to close the distance and work the body, knowing Joanna’s offensive output would dip under body-shot pressure. Weili executed perfectly, digging left hooks to Joanna’s liver and stepping in with knees to the midsection. By the fourth round, Joanna’s volume began to drop, and Weili’s constant forward pressure took its toll.

The fifth round was a testament to pure will. Both women were exhausted, their faces battered, but neither gave ground. Weili landed a takedown in the final minutes and spent the last moments of the fight in Joanna’s guard, throwing ground strikes to seal the round. When the final bell rang, the crowd erupted—they had witnessed one of the greatest fights in combat sports history. The judges awarded Weili a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46), confirming her as the dominant champion.

How She Won: Pressure and Body Work

Weili’s victory was not a matter of out-striking Joanna on the scorecards; it was a war of attrition where she dictated the pace and location of the fight. By cutting the cage and forcing Joanna to fire while backing up, Weili neutralized the Pole’s superior footwork. Her targeted attack to Joanna’s body drained her opponent’s gas tank and reduced her output in the championship rounds. The fight also showcased Weili’s incredible durability—she absorbed dozens of clean head shots without being knocked down, a resilience that allowed her to maintain her game plan.

This performance remains a career-defining moment. It earned Fight of the Year honors from multiple outlets and proved that Zhang Weili could win under the most punishing conditions imaginable.

Comeback Against Yan Xiaonan: A Dominant Return to Form

After losing the title in back-to-back fights against Rose Namajunas, Weili faced a crucial crossroads. Her next opponent, Yan Xiaonan, was riding a seven-fight win streak and was ranked number two in the division. Many analysts believed a loss would send Weili into a downward spiral. The fight at UFC 275 in June 2022 was a must-win—and Weili approached it with a sense of urgency that bordered on desperation.

From the opening round, the difference in power and aggression was stark. Weili walked through Yan’s jabs and landed heavy overhand rights that wobbled her opponent. She swarmed with hooks to the head and body, forcing Yan to cover up against the fence. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in twice to check on Yan’s condition, and between rounds, Weili’s corner instructed her to keep the pressure high and not let the fight go to the judges. Weili followed the instruction to the letter. In the second round, she closed the distance with a flurry of punches, dropped Yan with a short right hook, and finished the fight with ground strikes at 1:45. It was a statement victory that announced her return to title contention and earned her a Performance of the Night bonus.

Why This Fight Was So Challenging

While the fight itself seemed one-sided, the pressure on Weili was immense. She had lost twice in a row for the first time in her career, and doubts about her ability to reclaim the throne were widespread. Yan Xiaonan was a dangerous opponent—a fast, durable striker who had never been finished in the UFC. Weili’s willingness to stand in the pocket and trade with a crisp boxer like Yan required tremendous confidence. Her ability to hurt Yan early and never let her recover showed a killer instinct that some believed had dulled after the losses. This fight proved that Weili had not only regained her form but had also evolved as a finisher.

Defending the Belt Against Amanda Lemos: Dominance Everywhere

Having reclaimed the strawweight title by defeating Carla Esparza, Zhang Weili’s first title defense of her second reign came against the hard-hitting Brazilian, Amanda Lemos, at UFC 292 in August 2023. Lemos was a monster—she had finished five of her last six opponents, including a brutal knockout of Marina Rodriguez. Lemos possessed fight-ending power in both hands and a dangerous ground game. Many believed she could test Weili’s chin and potentially dethrone the champion.

Weili, however, saw the fight differently. From the opening minute, she used footwork and feints to keep Lemos at a distance, landing jabs and leg kicks. When Lemos lunged with wild hooks, Weili countered with straight punches and then changed levels for takedowns. In the first round, she took Lemos down and quickly advanced to mount. From top position, Weili displayed a level of ground control that had not been seen in her previous fights—she flattened Lemos out and rained down elbows that opened a cut on her forehead.

As the fight progressed, Weili’s dominance only grew. She repeatedly took Lemos to the mat, passed guard with ease, and threatened submissions. In the second round, she locked in a tight brabo choke that forced Lemos to tap at 4:39. The finish marked Weili’s first submission since the Andrade fight and proved she could win against a dangerous power puncher without taking unnecessary damage.

What Made This Fight Difficult

Lemos’s raw power and ability to end a fight with a single shot made her a live underdog. Weili’s game plan to take the fight to the ground was risky—Lemos was a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu—but Weili executed with superior technique and positional awareness. This fight also demonstrated Weili’s growth as a well-rounded fighter. She was no longer just a striker who could grapple when needed; she had become a complete mixed martial artist capable of dictating where the fight takes place.

Lessons from the Losses: How Defeat Forged a Stronger Champion

While this article focuses on fights Zhang Weili won, her two losses to Rose Namajunas and the loss to Carla Esparza are essential context for understanding her championship run. After being knocked out by Namajunas in April 2021, Weili returned five months later in a rematch and lost a narrow split decision. The loss stung, but it revealed weaknesses that Weili methodically addressed—namely, her tendency to overcommit with punches and her vulnerability to straight left hands. She worked on head movement, feinting, and setting up entries with her footwork. Those adjustments were on full display in the Yan Xiaoman and Lemos fights. The loss to Esparza in May 2022 was another crucible—Weili struggled to stop takedowns and was outgrappled. She returned to the gym, focused on takedown defense and submission escapes, and then avenged that loss with a dominant submission victory over the same Esparza to reclaim the belt. The arc of her career is a testament to learning from defeat and returning stronger—a quality that separates great champions from good fighters.

Analysis of Weili’s Winning Formula

Looking at her toughest wins, several patterns emerge that explain how Zhang Weili triumphs when faced with the hardest challenges. First, she possesses exceptional fight IQ. She makes mid-fight adjustments—moving from striking to grappling, switching stances, targeting the body—almost intuitively. Second, her durability is elite. She has absorbed heavy power shots from Andrade, Jędrzejczyk, and Lemos without ever being truly stopped (the Namajunas knockout being the single exception). Third, her cardio allows her to push a pace that breaks opponents in the championship rounds. Finally, she has an unwavering belief in her own ability, even when behind on the scorecards. This mental fortitude is often the difference between winning and losing in high-stakes fights.

Weili’s coach, Mike Cordeiro, has often highlighted her work ethic as the foundation of her success. She studies film obsessively, drills specific counters for each opponent, and maintains an intensity in training that mirrors the demands of a title fight. This preparation means that when she steps into the cage, she has already visualized every possible scenario and rehearsed the appropriate response.

Conclusion: The Legacy of a Relentless Champion

Zhang Weili’s career is littered with battles that would have ended lesser careers. From surviving Andrade’s power in her hometown to the five-round war with Joanna Jędrzejczyk, from the crushing weight of back-to-back losses to the dominant reclaiming of her title, her journey is one of constant evolution. She has shown that the most challenging fights are not just tests of skill, but tests of character—and she has passed every one with flying colors. As she continues to defend her belt against an ever-growing pool of contenders, one thing remains certain: Zhang Weili will face tough tests again, and she will find a way to win. Her story is an inspiration to athletes worldwide, proving that true greatness is not measured in a single victory but in the cumulative strength gained from every obstacle overcome.

For further reading, check out the official UFC athlete profile for Zhang Weili, analysis of her fight against Joanna Jędrzejczyk at MMA Junkie, and detailed stats from her title defense against Amanda Lemos at ESPN.