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Nicolas Atkin

Former UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili has claimed she lost focus for her title fight against Rose Namajunas after seeing Chris Weidman break his leg.
“The All-American” Weidman suffered the horrific injury against Uriah Hall in the third fight of the UFC 261 main card in Jacksonville, Florida, right before China’s Zhang fought Namajunas in the co-main event on April 24.
“The fighter in my previous fight, who was in the same waiting room as me [Weidman], his leg was snapped,” Zhang said in the recent documentary My Bronze Age, which aired on Chinese streaming platform Tencent QQ.
“I even touched gloves with him when he left for the fight, and I said ‘good luck’. I saw his leg snapped like that … I felt like my mind wasn’t completely focused on the match.


“I wasn’t as focused. You can’t lose focus for even 0.01 seconds. No, no. It’s that cruel.”
“Magnum” Zhang suffered a shock first-round TKO at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, after a head kick from 29-year-old Lithuanian-American Namajunas knocked her down to the canvas.

She admitted she initially struggled to come to terms with the loss, but has now accepted it, and insisted Namajunas is still her “target”, with the UFC reportedly leaning towards an immediate rematch in the fourth quarter of 2021.
“I was always afraid of losing when I kept winning, very afraid,” Zhang added. “The more you win, the more you are afraid. Like, ‘what if I lose … ?’
“After losing the fight I started to reflect back. It feels different all of a sudden. This time I feel like perhaps what I’ve learned is more than what I would learn from a win. Right now I feel great. I think my mental strength is way stronger than before.”

Zhang said she has removed all “distractions” in her life – including her long hair, which she had kept for 10 years – as she looks to start the climb back to the top.
“I put myself in the position to prepare for my next fight, where it’s like my first fight in Kunlun Fight,” she said. “Back to my initial determination and starting it over again.
“Last year I become really busy all of a sudden [after winning the belt]. I felt like I wasn’t able to be as concentrated on one thing as before. People recognised me when I was walking on the street. Those old grandpas in the park also recognised me.”

Zhang said her head coach Cai Xuejun questioned her for taking so many interviews and commercial opportunities, with her face plastered over magazine covers and adverts.
“Cai always told me not to be distracted and I was a bit sad, because I think I already tried my best,” she said. “He just said, ‘Do you think you can fight and win like this? Do you think you can be a champion like this?’
“And I thought, ‘Is there anything wrong?’ Now I think about it, really, I can’t be like that. I really have to focus.
“After this fight went wrong and we all looked back to realise we were too fast. We didn’t pause to reflect, rewind and review. We didn’t have the time. We kept going forward.”


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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

UFC: Zhang Weili says Chris Weidman’s broken leg distracted her before Rose Namajunas loss

Zhang Weili (left) looks dejected after her loss to Rose Namajunas, which came after Chris Weidman (right) broke his leg at UFC 261. Photo: USA Today/AFP

JACKSONVILLE, FL - APRIL 24: Chris Weidman of the United States is attended to after breaking his leg on a kick attempt on Uriah Hall of Jamaica during UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. Alex Menendez/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Apr 24, 2021; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Rose Namajunas (Blue Gloves) kicks Zhang Weili (Red Gloves) for a TKO during UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

JACKSONVILLE, FL - APRIL 24: Rose Namajunas of the United States celebrates after beating Zhang Weili of China during the Women's Strawweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. Alex Menendez/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

UFC: Zhang Weili says she couldn’t sleep for 20 hours after Rose Namajunas loss, opens up on cyber-bullies

Rose Namajunas lands a head kick on Zhang Weili at UFC 261. Photo: USA Today

JACKSONVILLE, FL - APRIL 24: Rose Namajunas of the United States punches Zhang Weili of China during the Women's Strawweight Title bout of UFC 261 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24, 2021 in Jacksonville, Florida. Alex Menendez/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

UFC ‘leaning towards’ Rose Namajunas vs Zhang Weili rematch, champ back in training camp

Rose Namajunas celebrates after beating Zhang Weili to claim the strawweight title at UFC 261. Photo: AFP

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 22: (L-R) Carla Esparza punches Yan Xiaonan of China in their women's strawweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 22, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov signs with Russian football club Legion Dynamo

Khabib Nurmagomedov shakes hands with the president of Russian football club Legion Dynamo. Photo: Instagram/@fc_legion_05

UFC: Jon Jones heavyweight stock continues to drop as division moves on to Gane vs Ngannou French superfight

Is Jon Jones fading away? Photo: AFP

ANAHEIM, CA - JULY 29: Jon Jones looks on prior to a fight against Daniel Cormier in the Light Heavyweight title bout during UFC 214 at Honda Center on July 29, 2017 in Anaheim, California. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

HOUSTON, TX - AUGUST 07: Ciryl Gane speaks during the post fight press conference after defeating Derrick Lewis for the Heavyweight title belt during UFC 265 at Toyota Center on August 7, 2021 in Houston, Texas. Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images /AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

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Mixed Martial Arts


Former strawweight champ admits she ‘wasn’t as focused’ after seeing horrific injury right before her fight at UFC 261
‘I touched gloves with him when he left for the fight and said good luck … you can’t lose focus for even 0.01 seconds, it’s that cruel,’ Zhang says



Former strawweight champ admits she ‘wasn’t as focused’ for UFC 261 fight against Rose Namajunas after seeing Chris Weidman suffer horrific leg snap.


UFC: Zhang Weili says Chris Weidman’s broken leg distracted her before Rose Namajunas loss

Former strawweight champ admits she ‘wasn’t as focused’ after seeing horrific injury right before her fight at UFC 261 ‘I touched gloves with him when he left for the fight and said good luck … you can’t lose focus for even 0.01 seconds, it’s that cruel,’ Zhang says

Former strawweight champ admits she ‘wasn’t as focused’ after seeing horrific injury right before her fight at UFC 261

‘I touched gloves with him when he left for the fight and said good luck … you can’t lose focus for even 0.01 seconds, it’s that cruel,’ Zhang says