Zhang Weili had just won a split decision over Joanna Jedzrejczyk late Saturday night Las Vegas in what, according to industry experts, will go down as one of the most memorable mixed martial arts bouts in history, but immediately after her thoughts turned to her native China and the coronavirus outbreak.
Minutes following her first title defense at UFC 248, the 115-pound champion, the first from the world’s most populous country, encouraged everyone at T-Mobile Arena and watching on pay-per-view to band together during this time of uncertainty with new cases of covid-19 continuing to be reported.
Two judges scored the brutal fight 48-47 in favor of Zhang, and a third awarded the decision by the same score to Jedzrejczyk, the five-time champion who absorbed a vicious blow that left her with a massive hematoma on her forehead.
Advertisement
“It took us a long way to get here because of the coronavirus back in our country,” Zhang said through an interpreter. “Everybody knows that. It was very serious, but we made it. I hope everybody, we stay together, we come together, we fight together.
“Our country is suffering from a big tragedy right now, so we’ll fight together, and we’ll beat it.”
The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, in December and soon spread around the globe with nearly 100,000 reported cases and thousands of deaths. But the number of new cases, according to Chinese figures, has been declining, and the World Health Organization has praised the country’s response.
Zhang (21-1) had left China in early February and spent much of the rest of the month traveling, relocating her training camp to Thailand, Abu Dhabi and the United States while Chinese officials dealt with the outbreak, issuing a quarantine in Wuhan, including suspending flights and shutting down subways, buses and ferries.
Advertisement
“The coronavirus is getting much better,” Zhang said.
Zhang and Jedrzejczyk combined to land 351 strikes, the third most in UFC history. Jedrzejczyk landed more frequently, but Zhang caused more damage with her punches, wobbling her Polish opponent with a left hook in the fourth round.
Both fighters were admitted to a hospital afterward for precautionary reasons.
Jedrzejczyk has lost the last four of her title fights in a row.
“She did a great job,” Jedrzejczyk said of Zhang. “I felt her punches. The swelling was bothering me. I felt it more and more, but we’re good. I’m happy we gave a good fight.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGd9cHySaGdxZ5Odtq%2Bt0maxoZmenHq4sciloGavmaPAbr%2FPpaCtZZSasKq%2FyKilZqemmr9uts6apaeZXZ%2Bypb7ZnqGcsqmgeq6xzKipmpqcmnqju9StZK6ek2J%2FdYSO