Zhang Weili
China's first UFC champion, forged in Sanda
- Born
- September 30, 1990, Handan, Hebei, China
- Nationality
China- Height
- 163 cm (5′4″)
- Reach
- 160 cm (5′3″)
- Stance
- Switch
- Style
- Sanda-based power striker
- Weight
- Strawweight, Flyweight
- Active
- 2013–present
- Status
- Active · age 36
The record
Professional MMA. Birth date differs by source: Wikipedia gives 30 September 1990 (citing a video in which she clarifies her zodiac sign); Sherdog and ESPN give 13 August 1989, matching UFC.com's listed age of 37. record
The story
hang Weili, from Handan in Hebei province, won provincial Sanda titles before moving into MMA, where she lost her 2013 debut and then put together a long winning run through Chinese promotions and into the UFC. In 2019 she stopped Jéssica Andrade in 42 seconds to become the first Chinese UFC champion. Her split-decision defense against Joanna Jędrzejczyk in 2020 was later inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. She lost the strawweight belt to Rose Namajunas, won it back from Carla Esparza in 2022, and defended it three more times for four defenses in all. In 2025 she vacated the title to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight and lost a decision. Her 11 knockout wins include a spinning backfist finish of Jędrzejczyk in their 2022 rematch.
Tap a technique with an arrow to learn how it works.
- UFC women's strawweight champion (2 reigns, 4 successful defenses)
- First Chinese UFC champion
- UFC Hall of Fame, Fight Wing (2026): vs Joanna Jędrzejczyk, UFC 248
Defining fights
- 2019WINvs Jéssica Andrade (TKO R1 in 42 seconds, won UFC strawweight title)
- 2020WINvs Joanna Jędrzejczyk (split decision, Hall of Fame fight)
- 2021LOSSvs Rose Namajunas (head kick KO R1, lost title)
- 2022WINvs Joanna Jędrzejczyk (spinning backfist KO R2)
- 2022WINvs Carla Esparza (rear-naked choke R2, regained title)
Close the distance behind hard punches, turn clinches into knees, and punish misses with a spinning backfist counter. Kickboxing students can drill the spinning backfist after a partner's missed cross, and MMA students can drill clinch knees into a rear-naked choke finish.
