The Takedown | Zhang Weili’s gutsy UFC 268 performance proves she belongs – and always has
- ‘Magnum’ came up just short in a split decision loss to Rose Namajunas, but China’s first UFC champion will rise again
- After a shock capitulation in Jacksonville, Zhang showed she’s still one of the greatest female fighters in the world
Zhang Weili’s rematch with Rose Namajunas at UFC 268 on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in New York seemed like a make-or-break moment for the promotion’s first bona fide Chinese star.
“How far away is she from a title shot?” UFC president Dana White said at the post-event press conference in the early hours of Sunday morning. “She just lost a fight. So pretty far.”
The fight was close. Razor close. Two of the three cageside judges scored it 48-47, one for each fighter. But the outlier was Eric Colon, who somehow scored it 49-46 for Namajunas, giving her rounds two through five.
While Namajunas clearly won the championship rounds, the case could easily be made for Zhang winning the first three. That’s how Michael Bell saw it, either way, while Doug Crosby gave a tight second round to the champ.
Weili was her typical upbeat self at the post-event press conference, however there is no denying she was putting on a brave face after coming up short again.
