The first title defense of Zhang Weili’s second reign as UFC women’s strawweight champion wasn’t just dominant on Saturday, it was historically one-sided.
Save for a submission scare to close the opening round, Zhang (24-3) was relentless in outclassing Brazilian slugger Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) in a wide unanimous decision win in the co-main event at UFC 292 at TD Garden in Boston. Zhang, the first Chinese-born champion in UFC history, took home judges’ scores of 50-43, 50-44 and 49-45.
Zhang, 34, landed six takedowns to zero for the 36-year-old Lemos and enjoyed ground control time of nearly 15 full minutes. But it was the striking disparity that set a new mark as Zhang outlanded Lemos 288 to 21 in terms of total strikes, which was the largest differential in UFC women’s history.
“I’m so happy. I have been training every day, so hard,” Zhang said. “Hard training and easy fights. I am not surprised because I have a great team.”
Can’t get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business. Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell for the best analysis and in-depth news.
Zhang won her third straight fight since a pair…
