Zhang Weili claims Joanna Jedrzejczyk is a “simpler” opponent than Jessica Andrade

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Saiyed Adeem Karim

Zhang Weili defends her UFC Women’s Strawweight title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248

Chinese star Zhang Weili isn’t concerned about facing Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248 as she defends the Women’s Strawweight title.

The 30-year-old Weili won the title from Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs Zhang, and is on a 20-fight winning streak.

Zhang Weili UFC 248
Chinese mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Zhang Weili posing after a training session in Beijing. (Photo credit should read GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

Jedrzejczyk is a former Strawweight champion in her own right and has been speaking a lot ahead of the fight.

However, Weili claimed that her fight against the Polish star would be simpler than the one against Andrade.

Weili was being interviewed by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani and tried to give answers in English despite having a translator.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk Zhang Weili colby covington
Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland enters the ring for her UFC women’s strawweight championship bout against Rose Namajunas. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Zhang also claimed that Jedrzejczyk’s antics during the face-off were “funny” and she was not concerned at all ahead of the fight.

The Chinese star also claimed that she could see fear in Jedrzejczyk’s eyes and wasn’t too worried about all that took place at the face-off.

Tough times for Zhang

The Chinese star was asked about how travelling has impacted her over the past month or so. The coronavirus outbreak in China was also playing on her mind, and this was a chance to provide some sort of positivity to the people of her country.

Zhang’s camp has been shifted twice from China to Thailand and then the UAE. However, all three countries have had their problems with the coronavirus as it spreads across the globe.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 07: Joanna Jedrzejczyk reacts in between rounds of her UFC women’s strawweight championship bout at UFC 223 at Barclays Center on April 7, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)

Zhang is the first Asian champion in the history of the UFC and her only loss in MMA came in her first fight which was in 2013.

Jedrzejczyk claimed that she had been working hard for eight weeks with 13 training sessions per week.

The Polish star is still a dangerous opponent in the Octagon, and it will be interesting to see how this clash goes at UFC 248.

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