Zhang Weili Fighting Style: Does She Have a Black Belt in BJJ?

“My name is Zhang Weili, I am from China, do you remember me? I am training every day. Hard training, easy fight,” Zhang Weili said after her successful title defense against Amanda Lemos in August 2023 at UFC 292. With the win ‘Magnum’ is only two steps away from tying Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the most number of title defenses. Will she inch closer to the coveted record at UFC 300?

The Chinese MMA icon’s UFC 248 bout against Joanna Jedrzejczyk was arguably the greatest women’s MMA fight in UFC history. Both strawweight stars left it all in the cage in a five-round slugfest. Another one of those striking extravaganzas might be around the corner as ‘Magnum’ is making her UFC return in just a few days at UFC 300 against Yan Xiaonan!  Weili is riding a 3 fight-winning streak, eager to make it four. Let us have a detailed look at her skills in MMA ahead of her return to the cage on April 13.

What is Zhang Weili’s fighting style?

Fighting out of China’s Hebei Province, Zhang Weili was exposed to martial arts very early. ‘Magnum’ had a natural interest in ‘Wushu’ because her hometown is in Handan City, a fortress for Yang Family Taichi (an important part of Chinese Kung-Fu). Weili’s parents sent her to train in the local Kung-Fu classes very early and this helped ‘Magnum’ understand her love for competitiveness and MMA.

To put it roughly, Weili was trained specifically in Chinese traditional martial arts techniques. In one of her statements, Weili said “I trained traditional Chinese martial arts and Sanda when I was a child for as long as I can remember” (Sanda is like the traditional Chinese version of kickboxing). Weili’s fighting style revolves around what she was taught back in her hometown, or specifically what is called in China “Wushu”. This explains her heavy-handed striking proficiency. But wait, does the Chinese sensation know ‘BJJ’ as well? Let’s find out.

What BJJ belt does Zhang Weili have?

Zhang Weili’s submission game is top-notch, much like her other skills. ‘Magnum’ has a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, earned under the tutelage of her coach Pedro Jordao, a month after regaining her strawweight belt by defeating Carla Espraza at UFC 281. After getting the belt, “Magnum’ took to her Instagram handle to express gratitude towards her coach and her team.

She wrote, “Today is a special day. I have a brown belt. I have a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for seven years. It’s really not an easy thing to do. Professor Jordan is a strict man. We’ve been together since 2014. The professor helped me a lot. I was the only student in the club. I didn’t realize that after all these years our team would be so big. We’re gonna keep going.”

‘Magnum’ fight against Xiaonan would set the course for the strawweight division as there has been no new champion in the division for a long time now. Will it be another victorious reign for Weili or will it be the rise of the new talent? State your thoughts in the comments below.

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