Chinese MMA star Zhang Weili keen to wow home crowd at first mainland post-Covid UFC event
Chinese mixed martial arts superstar Zhang Weili said on Thursday she would relish fighting on home turf again after Ultimate Fighting Championship announced its first event in mainland China since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zhang, the first Chinese fighter to win a UFC title and the current strawweight champion, is the face of MMA on the mainland, where millions of dollars have been poured into the sport's top promotion.
The UFC said on Thursday that back-to-back events would be taking place over one weekend, with Shanghai Fight Night taking place on August 23 and the semi-final of the Road to UFC Season 4 the day before.
'Competing on home soil feels completely different,' Zhang said, adding she was 'really looking forward' to fighting in Shanghai.
'When you step into the arena with a roaring home crowd behind you, it gives you an incredible boost of energy. So when I won the championship in Shenzhen, the atmosphere was absolutely electrifying.'
UFC has not confirmed the line-up for the Shanghai event, but Zhang would be a huge omission in a country where she is a household name.
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