The long-anticipated showcase between UFC strawweight champion Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas is now official for UFC 261 on April 24.
Two weeks ago, a story was reported that a bout between Weili Zhang and Rose Namajunas was in the works for UFC 261 and was nearing finalization. We can now confirm that the fight is slated for this pay per view after the UFC made the announcement on social media Monday.
The promotion has already billed the fight as a “classic in the making,” and it is difficult not to envision it living up to these lofty expectations. A former champion herself, Rose Namajunas has displayed exquisite technique that continues to enhance with time. Her high-level skillset is what earned her back-to-back victories over Joanna Jędrzejczyk and, most recently, over another former champion in Jéssica Andrade to earn her place in the front of the line to challenge Zhang.
Weili Zhang also holds a win over Jędrzejczyk in what is widely considered to be the 2020 fight of the year and one of the greatest fights in the history of the sport. Zhang is currently enjoying a 20-fight winning streak and has yet to experience defeat in the UFC.
This fight will mark the second female title fight on this card, with the other being flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defending her title against Jéssica Andrade. The main event has not been confirmed, but the current expectation is that it will be the bout between Zhang and Namajunas and that the event will be held in China.
The current UFC 261 lineup now includes the following bouts:
UFC Strawweight Title Bout: Weili Zhang © vs. Rose Namajunas
UFC Flyweight Title Bout: Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jéssica Andrade
Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman
Anthony Smith vs. Jimmy Crute
Brendan Allen vs. Karl Roberson
Qileng Aori vs. Jeffrey Molina
Danaa Batgerel vs. Kevin Natividad
Johnny Munoz vs. Mark Striegl
Who do you think will emerge from UFC 261 as the undisputed UFC strawweight champion: Weili Zhang or Rose Namajunas?
