UFC 292: Zhang Weili ‘might be the greatest of all time’, Joe Rogan says, as Dana White plots China return
- UFC president ‘very happy to hear’ Zhang’s win over Amanda Lemos racked up 1.9 billion views on Chinese social media in a matter of hours
- White admits he will ‘probably’ take strawweight champion back to China next, but she plays down talk of fighting compatriot Yan Xiaonan
Joe Rogan said Zhang Weili showed she “might be the greatest of all time” in women’s MMA after a dominant victory over Amanda Lemos, with UFC president Dana White admitting she will “probably” fight in China again next.
The Chinese star retained her strawweight title in the co-main event of UFC 292 via a lopsided unanimous decision, with scores of 50-43, 50-44, and 49-45, from the three cageside judges at TD Garden in Boston.
She also put up the largest ever strike differential – 288 to Lemos’ 21 – in a women’s fight in the UFC, coming close to finishing the Brazilian challenger in the first and fifth rounds.
It was a statement when that underlined her status as the new face of women’s MMA following former two-weight champ Amanda Nunes’ retirement – but commentator Rogan feels Zhang may have already surpassed the Brazilian.
“It’s hard to say but she’s phenomenal and she’s definitely he best pound-for-pound woman. She can do anything,” Rogan said on the UFC 292 pay-per-view broadcast.
“Her work ethic is just sensational. She’s so driven and so dynamic, she can strike, take you down – she knows what to do, and when. She’s got so much championship-level experience now. She’s such a killer, and just dominated against Amanda Lemos.
“Man, Zhang Weili is something special. She is as good as any woman who has ever competed in the sport, she might be the greatest of all time.”
After getting her second title reign off to the perfect start, Rogan and broadcast partner Daniel Cormier suggested compatriot Yan Xiaonan might be next in line for 34-year-old Zhang.
“Let’s do it in China. Yan Xiaonan and Zhang Weili in China – oh, that place would go crazy,” former UFC double champ Cormier said.
Zhang played down the idea, however, at the post-event press conference, where she was repeatedly asked about the potential match-up.
“I think it doesn’t matter where we fight, just let’s see who I fight next,” Zhang told reporters backstage after Sean O’Malley closed the show with a stunning second-round finish of Aljamain Sterling to win the bantamweight title.
“Sean O Malley, how about him?” she added with a big smile, to laughter in the room. “He has very beautiful hair, I like it.”
“It’s not a thing I’m thinking of right now,” Zhang, who won her first title in 2019 in Shenzhen, said on a more serious note. “The only thing in my mind is to have a break and some rest, then we will see what happens.
“I started my training camp this time in March so I left my home for such a long time. The only thing in my mind right now is to return home together with my family.”
After being told by a Chinese-speaking reporter Zhang’s victory had already racked up more than 1.9 billion views on Chinese social media within a few hours, UFC boss White said he would “probably” have her headline a card in the country again next.
“That makes me very happy, sir, I’m happy to hear that, and the answer is yes [Zhang will fight in China]. I don’t know when, but as soon as possible,” he said.
“We’re working on her next challenger. But she’s the queen, she’s the champ, she’s a beast. She can do whatever she wants.”
“It was completely dominant,” White added. “Lemos is so tough and hits like a man – when she throws punches they have bad intentions. She caught Weili a couple of times and Weili took those. Weili Zhang is a beast.
“The scores were insane and the strike differential. You can’t win any more dominantly than that, other than a finish.”
