The first championship fight this weekend at UFC 248 features Chinese sensation Weili Zhang who defends the crown that Joanna Jedrzejczyk kept clean for over two years.
Zhang Weili upset Jessica Andrade in front of a home crowd in China last year to claim the UFC strawweight title. Zhang is as dangerous as it gets in the strawweight division. She is a powerhouse of an athlete with the technique to match and is improving so drastically we can expect another breath-taking performance.
However, the key factor on paper is that Zhang has never gone past 15 minutes and Jedrzejczyk excels in the championship rounds. If Jedrzejczyk can stay out of trouble for the first two rounds and avoid the power of Zhang, whether that be punches, kicks or her clinch, she can exploit any holes Zhang’s gas tank may have.
Weili Zhang enters this fight with a 20-1 record and has won 47 percent of her fights by knockout. Zhang has won each of her last 20 fights, and she’s coming off an August win over Jessica Andrade. Zhang is averaging 5.49 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy percentage of 46 percent. Zhang is averaging 1.78 takedowns with an accuracy percentage of 31 percent. Zhang is coming off an absolutely ridiculous performance where she landed clean overhands, relentless knees and elbows to produce a first round knockout. It was nonstop action from the beginning, and Zhang showed she’s willing to trade in the middle of the octagon and has the tools to hurt anybody within this division. Zhang hasn’t lost since her pro debut back in 2013, and she’s finished 17 of the bouts during this 20-fight winning streak. Zhang has a complete fighting style, as she has a background in kickboxing and is just as effective with her knees, and her constant pressure, aggressive approach in her standup where she unleashes combinations and a relentless gas tank. Zhang has a killer instinct that you don’t see all the time on the woman’s side of this sport, and her last performance likely only takes her confidence to a brand new level. This will be Zhang’s second career fight in Las Vegas.
Joanna Jedrzejczyk enters this fight with a 16-3 record and has won 67 percent of her fights by decision. Jedrzejczyk has split her last six fights and is coming off an October win over Michelle Waterson. Jedrzejczyk is averaging 6.07 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy percentage of 46 percent. Jedrzejczyk is averaging 0.14 takedowns with an accuracy percentage of 67 percent. Jedrzejczyk got a much needed victory by dominating the Karate Hottie, doing whatever she wanted on her feet and producing a few takedowns. Jedrzejczyk entered that bout losing three of her last four fights, so it was nice to see her have her way with a respectable opponent, proving the former champ can’t be counted out despite some rocky results. Jedrzejczyk is an extremely decorated kick boxer who is highly effective with her knees and legs, and she’s an overall highly efficient striker with superb accuracy and a background in boxing. Jedrzejczyk has great technique, knows how to finish her opponent despite most of her fights ending in decision, and she’s most comfortable on her feet. Jedrzejczyk is also conditioned for the long haul, as each of her last six victories have gone the distance, and she’s seen the fifth round in seven of her last nine fights. Conditioning is not an issue for the 32-year-old from Poland. This will be Jedrzejczyk’s second career fight in Las Vegas.
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