UFC’s Zhang Weili finally flying home to China after weeks in Las Vegas coronavirus lockdown
- Strawweight champion has been stranded in the US following March 7 title fight against Joanna Jedrzejczyk
- Zhang will have to self-quarantine in a Beijing hotel for two weeks before being able to return to her home
Almost two months after arriving in Las Vegas for her successful and bloody UFC 248 title defence against Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Zhang Weili is finally going home.
The UFC strawweight champion is flying back to China on Sunday, her manager Brian Butler-Au confirmed, per ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
She will then have to self-quarantine in a hotel for two weeks upon arriving, Butler-Au told Helwani, before being able to return to her Beijing home.
The 30-year-old has been in Vegas since arriving early for her fight on February 21. She had to abandon her initial training camp in Beijing, following the outbreak of the virus in China, but also had to flee Thailand for Abu Dhabi, before the UFC decided it was safest to bring her to the US.
Zhang (21-1) beat former champion Jedrzejczyk by split decision on March 7 in the co-main event of UFC 248. It turned out to be the company’s last show in front of a live audience, with the escalation of the Covid-19 pandemic taking hold in the US. Coronavirus restrictions have forced the UFC into postponing four shows to date, though Dana White has said he is looking to host bouts on a private “Fight Island”.
