Martial arts has been woven into the very fabric of Chinese culture
for centuries, transcending mere physical practice to embrace the
philosophical and spiritual dimensions of it. However, despite this
rich heritage, the presence of Chinese fighters in Western mixed
martial arts organizations has been scant, shrouded by a prevailing
sense of underrepresentation.
Nonetheless, the advent of a new era shattered this conventional
notion. The rise of a fresh wave of Chinese athletes, especially on
the grand stage of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, marked a pivotal paradigm
shift, where stereotypes were shattered and perspectives were
altered. In the vanguard of these trailblazers, the crowning moment
of
Weili Zhang
as the women’s strawweight champion proved to be the defining
moment that will forever be immortalized in the saga of Chinese
martial arts tradition.
Now, the upcoming co-main event at
UFC
300 ushers in a new historic chapter, as Zhang squares off
against Chinese counterpart
Xiaonan Yan,
setting the stage for the first-ever all-Chinese championship clash
in the promotion’s history. Ahead of this historic clash this
Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, we delve into the
statistical nuances that exist between champion and challenger:
4: With four finishes, Zhang is fourth on the strawweight ladder
for most finishes in the division.
5: Zhang’s five-fight winning streak between August 2018 and March
2020 remains the sixth-best in the strawweight division’s
history.
4: Zhang has amassed four title victories in the UFC, which is the
second-best behind
Joanna
Jedrzejczyk at 115 pounds.
5: With five fight night bonuses, Zhang occupies the No. 4 spot in
the 115-pound bracket for such honors.
139: The striking differential of 139 that Zhang recorded in her
fight against
Amanda
Lemos at
UFC
292 is the eighth-best in the organization’s history.
96: Amassing a total of 96 ground strikes in her aforementioned
fight against Lemos, Zhang is tied second on the list for
significant strikes landed in that terrain.
42: Zhang demolished
Jessica
Andrade in 42 seconds to claim the 115-pound strap in 2019—a
finish which remains the fifth-fastest finish in divisional
history.
115: Yan holds the top spot in the division for most significant
head strikes landed in a single bout with 115 against
Syuri
Kondo.
6: With six straight wins, Yan occupies the No. 2 spot in
divisional ranks for longest winning streak.
778: Yan has landed 778 significant strikes throughout her UFC
career, securing the No. 6 spot on the divisional rankings ladder.