5 Things You Might Not Know About Weili Zhang

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With only three fights in her Ultimate Fighting Championship career, Weili Zhang now has the golden opportunity to snatch the strawweight title away from Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 157. The Chinese 115 pounder is currently sixth in the rankings, and with the higher-ranked fighters either unavailable or coming off pivotal losses, she was gifted a title shot.

She may be the least known among everyone in the Top 10, but she's no less hungry or talented. Get acquainted with Zhang, who will be carrying an entire country on her shoulders when the UFC makes the trip to Shenzhen, China, on Aug. 31.

1. She used to fight in Sanda but had to retire prematurely.

Zhang started training in Sanda when she was 12 years old, doing it religiously alongside males who were punished if they held back against females. She eventually got involved in Sanda fights but unfortunately had to retire young because of a recurring back injury.

2. She is a former preschool teacher, hotel receptionist and cashier.

Zhang’s injuries led her to search for a different career, and her quest brought her to different jobs such as a preschool teacher, hotel receptionist, bodyguard, cashier, sales representative and gym coach. It goes without saying that none of these day jobs thrilled her.

3. She didn’t have a very impressive pro debut.

Zhang felt her pro debut performance against Meng Bo was a forgettable one. According to her, she fought like an amateur and was angry afterwards as a result. But like other top fighters, she used this setback to improve and turn things around. It inspired her to train more seriously in mixed martial arts, and the result is a current 19-fight winning streak. Only three of those 19 wins have come via decision.

4. She earned two championships before joining the UFC.

Zhang is no stranger to title fights. In fact, she has been in four championship bouts in her career. She captured the Kunlun Fight strawweight belt and defended it two times, and in between those defenses, she also won the vacant Top FC strawweight strap. Her upcoming title showdown with Andrade marks the fifth time she will engage in a championship bout.

5. She didn’t have her trainer in her corner when she debuted in the UFC.

Fighting in American soil was something new to Zhang when she made her Octagon debut. What made it even more difficult was the fact that her trainer wasn’t in her corner after being denied a visa multiple times. It felt crippling, but Zhang soldiered on and made an impression by beating UFC veteran Danielle Taylor. “Magnum” outpointed the former King of the Cage strawweight champion to earn a unanimous decision victory.