Zhang Weili is gearing up for her UFC 292 title defense against Amanda Lemos on Saturday.
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In her pursuit of a flawless display, Zhang Weili is gearing up for her UFC 292 title defense against Amanda Lemos on Saturday. Following her successful recapture of the strawweight championship by submitting Carla Esparza at UFC 281 in November, Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) aims for a strong beginning to her second tenure as a titleholder as she squares off against Brazilian challenger Lemos (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC).
They will fight in the co-headlining match on the pay-per-view card at TD Garden. The preliminaries will be broadcast on ESPN and available for streaming on ESPN+.
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Weili is fully aware of the challenging endeavor that awaits her in the face of a formidable opponent. However, as she enters the octagon, she’s placing lofty expectations upon herself, aiming for nothing less than excellence.
“Lemos is good – I admit she’s a very good fighter,” Weili told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 292 media day. “She’s aggressive, and her fighting style, she possess the knockout power. So do I. And what I want to showcase more in this fight is to fight like water. I can fight very flowing, smooth and seamless. I can be water. Just wrap her up. And if she makes any tiny mistake, I can catch it and finish her.”
Having crossed paths with numerous prominent figures in the 115-pound division, Weili now encounters Lemos, a comparatively less familiar adversary than those she’s recently contended with. Additionally, the impending clash finds itself cast in the shadow of the greatly awaited UFC 292 main event featuring Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley. As a result, the showdown involving Weili and Lemos has managed to remain relatively inconspicuous.
However, such hasn’t been the prevailing circumstance in Weili’s realm, she conveyed. Within her homeland of China, her championship bout holds significant importance, and although it might garner less spotlight than the main event, she doesn’t perceive any sense of disregard.
“I don’t feel that way,” Weili said. “What I feel is actually a lot of people focused and concerned on my fight, especially in China. A lot of people follow this fight and want to watch this. Maybe in the U.S., maybe more people are more concerned about O’Malley and Sterling’s fight, but I do feel there’s a lot of people that will watch our fight.”
In the lead-up to the fight night, Lemos has articulated her confidence with assertive rhetoric. During the media day for UFC 292, she boldly asserted her supremacy over the champion across all aspects and pledged to substantiate her claims within the confines of the cage. Weili, while refraining from engaging in a verbal clash, has unmistakably communicated her own sense of assurance.
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