The primary name protection of Zhang Weili’s 2d reign as UFC ladies’s strawweight champion wasn’t simply dominant on Saturday, it used to be traditionally one-sided. 

Save for a submission scare to related the hole around, Zhang (24-3) used to be relentless in outclassing Brazilian slugger Amanda Lemos (13-3-1) in a large unanimous choice win within the co-main match at UFC 292 at TD Ground in Boston. Zhang, the primary Chinese language-born champion in UFC historical past, took house judges’ rankings of 50-43, 50-44 and 49-45. 

Zhang, 34, landed six takedowns to 0 for the 36-year-old Lemos and loved farmland regulate pace of just about 15 complete mins. Nevertheless it used to be the hanging disparity that prepared a pristine mark as Zhang outlanded Lemos 288 to 21 when it comes to overall moves, which used to be the most important differential in UFC ladies’s historical past.  

“I’m so happy. I have been training every day, so hard,” Zhang stated. “Hard training and easy fights. I am not surprised because I have a great team.”

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Zhang gained her 3rd immediately struggle since a couple of name losses to Rose Namajunas in 2021 ended her preliminary reign. And it took Lemos’ strong chin to keep away from the stoppage, specifically within the first 3 rounds, the place Zhang held an good thing about 157 to 9 when it comes to overall moves getting into the championship rounds. 

The dominance for Zhang started within the opening around as an early leg-trip takedown resulted in methodical farmland and pound. However simply as Lemos seemed related to be restrained, she shocked Zhang with a D’Arce choke that used to be in brief locked in tight all over the overall little. 

Lemos landed a order of withered proper fingers to visible Spherical 2 till Zhang ducked a follow-up punch and landed a blank takedown. Lemos loved her highest series in Spherical 4 when she landed the larger photographs as Zhang seemed to be resting for the overall around later 3 rounds of grappling led to her to fatigue. 

Happily for Zhang, her championship mettle confirmed in Spherical 5 as she dropped Lemos with a proper pass and spent the left-overs of the mauling her opponent to cement a dominant ultimate body. 

With the loss, Lemos snapped a two-fight win streak relationship again to a first-round submission loss to former champion Jessica Andrade in April 2022. Zhang, in the meantime, would possibly have cemented her declare as feminine pound-for-pound highest with the dominant win aided through Amanda Nunes’ depart and a contemporary loss to Valentina Shevchenko.