Zhang Weili put on a vintage performance at UFC 300, displaying her skills in a hard-fought battle against challenger Yan Xiaonan. Despite a few potentially winning moments for Zhang, the end result was a unanimous decision victory in her favor, with scores of 49-45 across the board. This successful title defense marked the second time Zhang has defended her belt in her second reign as UFC flyweight champion.
In the first round, Zhang nearly choked Yan to unconsciousness with a chokehold. However, Yan managed to survive until the bell rang and got up woozy and disoriented. Despite this scare, Yan continued to fight on. There was controversy surrounding a moment in the first round where Yan’s cornerman was seen putting his finger in her nose, sparking speculation that smelling salts were used to revive her, an illegal move. Commentators quickly criticized the potential violation but it was later clarified that no smelling salts were used.
Zhang dominated the second round, landing significant strikes on Yan who was mainly focused on defending herself. Although Zhang lost some steam as the fight progressed, her early lead put Yan in a position where she needed a finish to claim victory. However, Yan was unable to secure the finish and Zhang retained her championship and prevented Yan from becoming the second Chinese UFC champion.
Statistically, Zhang outperformed Yan in significant strikes, takedowns and control time demonstrating her superiority in the fight. Despite challenges in later rounds, Zhang’s early control and dominance secured her victory at UFC 300
