Zhang Weili defended her UFC strawweight championship with a spectacularly brutal split-decision victory over former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC248 in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
Israel Adesanya then defended his middleweight title with a dull unanimous decision over Yoel Romero in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in the UFC’s hometown.
Zhang (21-1) and Jedrzejczyk (16-4) traded brutal punches and kicks throughout five technically fascinating rounds, badly damaging each other’s faces. After the last of several standing ovations from the crowd, Zhang won the fight 48-47 on two judges’ cards, while Jedrzejczyk won 48-47 on the third.
Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA TODAY
“I had a long way to get here,” said Zhang, who had to move her training camp out of China due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“It was very serious, but we made it. I’m so happy now,” she said.
After Zhang and Jedrzejczyk put on one of the most viscerally entertaining bouts in recent UFC history, Romero and Adesanya staged a snoozer that had fans booing and chanting obscenities.
Photo: AP
Adesanya (19-0) defended his belt for the first time, winning 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46 on the judges’ scorecards.
Romero (13-5) fought an extraordinarily passive fight. Adesanya appeared unable to figure out a way through the 42-year-old Brazilian’s defenses, but his efforts mattered more to the judges.
“I did what I had to do to win this fight,” Adesanya said. “He’s out there trying to lure me into a false sense of security. I needed 25 minutes of focus. You can’t [fight] with somebody who doesn’t want to dance.”
Photo: AP
The crowd still got its money’s worth from Zhang and Jedrzejczyk, whose prefight animosity carried straight into an uncommonly brutal bout in which the fighters traded big punches to the face from the opening round.
Zhang’s superior punching power appeared to make the difference early and Jedrzejczyk’s face showed every ounce of it late.
However, Jedrzejczyk gathered herself late in the second round and had an outstanding third, switching to a southpaw stance and battering Zhang. The fourth round was more of the same brute punishment for both fighters.
Jedrzejczyk’s forehead and eyes began to swell badly in the fifth round, while Zhang bled from cuts on her face. The fighters embraced in the cage afterward.
“She did great,” Jedrzejczyk said.
“We both put on one hell of a performance. I’m proud of myself and my team,” she said.
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