Zhang Weili (20-1) made UFC history by becoming the organization’s first Chinese champion when she knocked out Jessica Andrade (20-7) 42 seconds into the first round of her main event title fight on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 157: Shenzhen.
Andrade opened the bout with a flurry of strikes, looking to finish Weili early. But Weili countered with a devastating right hook that landed squarely on Andrade’s chin, buckling the champ’s knees. Weili then wrapped Andrade in a Muay Thai clinch, using the leverage with her back against the cage to control Andrade. She mixed in heavy knees with cutting elbows before dropping the champ and finishing the fight on the mat.
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The loss is the first for Andrade in her last five fights. Saturday’s main event was her first title defense since winning the belt from Rose Namajunas in May with a slam knockout.
Weili hasn’t lost since her debut back in November 2013. This was just Weili’s fourth fight inside the Octagon and her second finish (she earned a submission victory against Jessica Aguilar in 2018). She’s won 20 consecutive fights and appears primed to be one of UFC’s next major stars with a mix of finishes on the ground and on her feet. She was the first Chinese fighter to compete for a UFC title.
