Zhang Weili successfully retained her women's strawweight championship by dominating previously unbeaten Tatiana Suarez with a unanimous decision win in the co-main event of UFC 312 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Saturday.
Fighting out of Beijing, Zhang (26-3) has demonstrated her dominance over the strawweight division during her second run as champion. After picking up dominant wins over Carla Esparza, Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan, Zhang was booked for what was presumed to be the toughest title defense of her current run against Suarez and closed as the betting underdog.
It was anything but difficult.
Instead, Zhang put on a clinic, successfully defending 14 of 15 takedown attempts and outstriking the challenger 251-61. With scores of 49-46, 49-46 and 49-45, she is tied with Joanna Jedrzejczyk for most strawweight title fight wins at six.
"I respect Tatiana, and she was very strong," Zhang said. "It's OK that I was the betting underdog."
Suarez (11-1) brought the fight to the canvas in the opening minute when Zhang overcommitted on a punch and fell into Suarez's clutches. Zhang got to her feet and Suarez attempted a guillotine choke that the champion snuffed out and ended the round in top position.
A failed takedown attempt by Suarez along the fence gave Zhang top position. Suarez got back to her feet but Zhang connected with a right hand. Another takedown attempt from the challenger was thwarted as Zhang again fell into top control and rode the position until the end of the round.
Zhang, 35, put her striking to work in the third and blasted Suarez with a right hand that badly wobbled the challenger. A spry Zhang turned back another takedown attempt and landed a combination on Suarez's chin. With Suarez falling into a predictable pattern of telegraphing takedowns, Zhang took advantage and landed an inside leg trip to put the challenger on her back in the third round for the first time in her career.
Suarez, a highly decorated wrestler, appeared destined for championship gold after winning Season 23 of "The Ultimate Fighter" in 2016. However, nagging injuries slowed her climb to the top of the division with only six fights over the next seven years. That lack of experience was noticeable as Zhang took advantage of the tiring challenger in the championship rounds.
Without a Plan B, Suarez pursued takedowns with reckless abandon in the final round. However, Zhang's experience and superior conditioning prevailed as the champion cruised to the final bell as a battered and bloodied Suarez labored.
"When you look at Weili, she's one of the greatest of all time. The best female fighter in the sport right now," UFC president Dana White said. "At the press conference, Tatiana was talking about what she was gonna do, what about her wrestling, and Weili said this isn't a wrestling match, this is a fight. And she actually outwrestled Tatiana tonight. Absolute stud."
Zhang has teased a move to flyweight for her next fight, where she would immediately challenge for the title in an attempt to become a two-division champion.
White said a potential showdown between Zhang and flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko is "a possibility." When asked if he thought that Shevchenko was still the UFC's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter after Zhang's performance Saturday night, White said, "Maybe we'll just have to find out."
White also said he would like to see Zhang fight multiple times in 2025 but made it clear that whatever she wants to do next, he's probably going to agree to it.