Zhang Weili delivered an outstanding performance in her UFC title fight at TD Garden in Boston. Her opponent Amanda Lemos, despite being defeated, also played a significant role in the co-main event narrative.
Zhang secured her strawweight title with a remarkable unanimous decision victory, with judges scoring the fight 50-43, 50-44, and 49-45. According to Yahoo Sports, Zhang was scored 50-44. Zhang’s dominance was evident in her 288-21 strike advantage, six takedowns compared to Lemos’ zero, a knockdown, and a staggering 14 minutes and 52 seconds of control time.
Lemos exhibited incredible resilience, enduring substantial punishment. In a notable moment in the first round, despite absorbing significant strikes, she managed to apply a D’Arce choke on Zhang, coming close to ending the fight. Zhang’s grappling dominance was evident as she pursued submissions and delivered ground-and-pound damage with elbow strikes and hammer fists.
Lemos remained determined to win, occasionally landing powerful right-handed strikes when upright. Zhang capitalized on nearly every mistake Lemos made, consistent with her earlier predictions. Additionally, Zhang proactively created opportunities.
Zhang credited her success to her exceptional team, stating, “I’m not surprised because I have a great team. All the coaches give me the technique to make the fight happen like this.”
Lemos persisted throughout the fight, urging Zhang to maintain a high work rate. Zhang’s endurance was impressive, as seen in her consistent output. Although she briefly slowed down in the fourth round, she rallied in the fifth, delivering relentless blows to Lemos.
Zhang’s performance made a compelling case for her as the pound-for-pound champion among women fighters. Her recent overall dominance, coupled with her control in this bout, supports this claim.
The audience celebrated Zhang with enthusiastic cheers and chants throughout the fight, treating her like a hero. Zhang’s performance on Saturday ranks among the best in the history of title fights. Likewise, Lemos demonstrated remarkable resilience, enduring significant punishment and leaving the arena under her own power.”