Zhang Weili sizes up Yan Xiaonan before UFC 300, impressed with growth as mixed martial artist

April 11, 2024 11:00 am ET

LAS VEGAS – UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili sees major improvements in Yan Xiaonan’s game.

Weili (24-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) defends her title against Xiaonan (17-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 300 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the promotion’s first all-Chinese title fight, Weili is honored to represent her country on the big stage.

“This is another fight for me, but on the other hand, this also means so much for the MMA sport’s development and growth in China,” Weili told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day.

Xiaonan is coming off back-to-back wins over Mackenzie Dern, followed by a knockout of Jessica Andrade. Weili has been especially impressed with Xiaonan’s physicality.

“I see that Xiaonan has grown a lot,” Weili said. “especially in her strength, as well as her grappling, on the ground, everything.”

Weili recently made a camp switch over to Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas to work with coach John Wood, which has led to dominant title wins over Carla Esparza and Amanda Lemos.

“We actually started working together since my fight with Carla, so we’ve been working together for a while,” Weili said. “I think he’s super smart, and we align on our vision, our style, how to train together. So, it’s been a very good work experience.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

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