Fighter Profile: Zhang Weili

Background

Chinese fighter from Hebei, the first Chinese champion in UFC history and a former two-time women’s strawweight champion. Her professional record is 26-4.

Career timeline

• Won the UFC strawweight championship in August 2019, lost it to Rose Namajunas, and regained it in November 2022 before making several successful defences.
• Vacated the strawweight title midway through 2025 to move up a division and challenge for flyweight gold.
• Lost to Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322 on 15 November 2025, dropping a unanimous decision with all three judges scoring it 50-45.
• Has no bout announced as of 1 August 2026, with a return to strawweight and a possible challenge to Mackenzie Dern the most-discussed option.

Fight craft

Zhang is an explosive, physically powerful striker with genuine knockout power at 115lb and a wrestling base strong enough to dictate where fights happen. Her second title reign showed a much-improved defensive game and better fight management. Against Shevchenko the problem was straightforward: a division up, she gave away the physical advantages that make her style work, and she was out-struck and out-clinched by a more technical opponent she could not overpower.

In the modern MMA landscape

Our wider MMA analysis mentions Zhang only as the strawweight champion Shevchenko beat. The important connecting fact is missing: she vacated the 115lb title to take that fight, which is precisely why the strawweight belt was vacant when Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba met at UFC 321.

Return to What the Modern MMA Game Demands.

Sources

• LowKick MMA — Zhang Weili vacates strawweight title to challenge Shevchenko
• UFC — Zhang Weili athlete page
• Wikipedia — Zhang Weili

Record and competitive status checked 1 August 2026.