[child excitingly screaming]
>> Narrator: Before head coach Trevor Wittman
corners welterweight champion,
Kamaru Usman in the UFC 261 headliner,
he will guide Rose Namajunas on her quest
to recapture strawweight gold in the night's co-main event.
>> Wittman: Give me a touch more hips with that same speed.
Just a touch.
Alright, yes.
Good.
>> Narrator: Along with former interim champion Justin Gaethje,
Usman and Namajunas are the only athletes that Wittman coaches.
>> Wittman: Alright, jab-cross-hook.
One-one, as fast as you can and then reset.
Alright?
Good. Again.
>> Narrator: Offering a level of undivided attention rarely seen
in mma.
>> Wittman: Do it again.
[grunting]
>> Wittman: Again.
[grunting]
>> Wittman: I enjoy the mentorship.
Not just coaching, not just creating game plans.
I like to see them grow in life.
Yeah, boom. Go.
Again. Yes. Keep it.
And Rose keeps getting better.
Again.
Good.
Keep it fast. Come on, girl! Yep.
[grunting]
>> Wittman: Good work!
And turn around.
We got a drop-step uppercut, one-two.
Easy, slow.
Her jab and her position and her footwork-- it's just--
it's like a dance.
It's so fun to watch.
Good.
Now backwards.
>> Joe: This young lady, when she's on,
is absolutely spectacular.
>> Namajunas: I'm a highlight reel.
My fighting style is electric, it's creative.
>> Mike Goldberg: Trevor Wittman said, "No kicks for awhile.
Jabs, right hands."
>> It is a work of art.
It is very unique.
>> Mike: Utilizing the fundamentals are why she thinks
she can win the title here very, very soon.
>> And when you watch it, it does something to you.
>> Wittman: Best in the world.
Love you.
You are so awesome.
>> I think that's why I'm meant to do this.
>> Narrator: The calling of Namajunas,
led her to the UFC strawweight world title.
>> Anik: There is a new strawweight queen!
>> Let's keep the jab working.
Yes, thank you.
>> Narrator: Just as entered her prime...
>> Cormier: Namajunas is looking like an absolute savage
right now.
>> Anik: Oh, man!
>> Narrator: ... it all came crashing down.
>> Anik: Just like that!
A new world order in the UFC strawweight division!
>> Narrator: And although Jessica Andrade reigned as
the new champion,
it was Zhang Weili
who would write the next chapter of 115 pounds.
>> Fitzgerald: A pro since 2013, 19 straight victories got her
to this shot here tonight
and jump at the chance to be
the very first fighter from China and from Asia,
to wear a UFC championship belt.
We are underway.
Five possible rounds here.
Wow, heavy shots!
Oh, clipped and now knees to the body from Zhang.
>> Bisping: They're heavy knees!
>> Fitzgerald: Is this the moment!
First minute.
Zhang Weili has her down!
Zhang Weili makes history!
It is absolute pandemonium in Shenzhen, China!
[Weili speaking foreign language]
>> Narrator: The future seemed bright for the newly
crowned strawweight queen.
>> Narrator: But Zhang Weili's first title defense against
former champion,
Joanna Jedrzejczyk,
was set to take place in the early months of 2020,
during the onset of an emerging pandemic.
>> Stephen A. Smith: I'm getting to the point where
I'm scared as hell.
China, South Korea, Italy-- shutting down,
basically everything.
Well if that's happening, you know that the United States
is going to be next.
[Weili speaking foreign language]
>> EY 2075, bound to Abu Dhabi.
>> Woman over intercom: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,
welcome to the Abu Dhabi.
The local time is 8:25 in the morning.
For your safety, please remain seated in your seatbelts.
>> Man over intercom: Welcome to Las Vegas,
McCarran International Airport.
The local time is approximately 2:48.
>> Good morning.
[Velcro snaps]
[grunting]
>> Megan Olivi: And the first person to the stage is
Zhang Weili.
[crowd cheering]
>> There can be no overstating the fan bases' excitement
level for this championship fight tonight.
And as the UFC continues to send its well wishes to all those
who have been impacted by the Corona-virus,
particularly Wuhan, China.
Here is Zhang Weili, she has made it to Las Vegas.
She is trying to take out a woman who put this division
on the map tonight.
We shall see how it goes for Zhang Weili
in title defense number one.
>> Joe: Ooh!
Weili with that right hand.
>> Cormier: She is fast.
>> Cormier: Oh, right hand.
>> Cai:
>> Joe: Oh, solid right hand by Joanna.
>> Joe: Oh!
>> Anik: Biggest shot of the fight right there!
>> Cormier: Oh, she's got her hurt a little bit.
>> Joe: I'll tell you what-- these girls are not playing
it safe.
Oh, big left hand by Joanna.
>> The push kick is there, okay?
Your push kick is there.
>> Joe: Oh!
>> Cormier: That was nasty!
>> Anik: Well Joanna suggested this was going to be
the greatest strawweight title fight in UFC history....
>> Joe: Whoo!
I think it already is.
Oh!
Oh, my goodness.
>> Anik: Crowd at a fever pitch here.
Wow.
>> Cormier: What a first three rounds.
Whoo and I don't know who won any round yet.
>> Joe: Joanna's got a big hematoma on her forehead now,
folks.
>> Anik: Oh, man, that's a tough visual right there.
>> Cormier: Oh, man.
>> Anik: The toughness, the heart-- many human beings out
there just can't relate to it.
>> Cormier: They're laying it all out on the line, man.
>> Anik: Zhang Weili has never seen championship rounds.
>> Joe: Oh!
Left hook!
Oh my goodness!
>> Anik: Knee from Joanna!
>> Joe: This is crazy!
>> Joe: Oh!
Big shot by the champion!
[horn sounds]
>> Let's go, J!
[cornerman speaking foreign language]
>> Cormier: Oh!
>> Joe: My goodness.
>> Weili:
>> Joe: Oh!
Oh, my goodness!
>> Anik: Power-shots on both sides!
>> Joe: Oh!
>> Anik: Spinning back-fist late for Jedrzejczyk!
And a counter right for Zhang Weili!
Arguably the greatest fight in women's
mixed martial arts history!
>> Buffer: For the winner and...
still!
>> Anik: Well Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson fight goes
into the hall-of-fame this summer and this is no doubter.
>> Joe: 100 percent this is in the hall of fame.
>> Cormier: It has to.
[crowd cheering]
>> Anik: Oh!
Andrade gets stunned!
>> Cormier: Namajunas is looking like an absolute
savage right now.
>> Anik: Just off to an outstanding start here tonight.
>> Dominick Cruz: Oy!
>> Anik: She slammed her, knocked her head,
Namajunas is out!
Jessica Andrade is the new UFC strawweight champion!
>> Cruz: Incredible!
>> Narrator: When Rose Namajunas lost her title to
Jessica Andrade in 2019,
seemingly devastating setback,
was actually the end of an ongoing burden.
>> Any thoughts on a crazy, epic championship fight here tonight?
>> It's just a huge pressure off my shoulders.
>> Cormier: What's the pressure? Not having the belt anymore?
>> Anik: The belt.
>> Cruz: It's got to be the belt.
Rose is learning and this is just a little stumble for her.
>> Narrator: But "Thug" Roes would quickly rediscover
the competitive fire.
>> Bisping: Oh!
>> Anik: Huge right for Namajunas.
>> Bisping: Oh, there it is!
Perfect!
>> Anik: The former strawweight champion has positioned herself
for a shot against the champion, Zhang Weili.
>> Narrator: And avenged defeat in her return to action.
>> Buffer: "Thug" Rose Namajunas!
>> Narrator: Now set to face champion,
Zhang Weili on April 24th,
Namajunas recognizes that the glory of a UFC title
is well worth the burden it can inflict.
>> I'm extremely excited to be fighting for a title again.
At first it was a lot to take on,
everything is magnified with the belt.
Come on, Mish.
You know, once I lost it, I didn't even know if I was going
to fight again.
This is kind of like me, she doesn't really like nice things.
But somewhere deep down inside it was always there,
that I wanted to become a champion.
Ever since that journey, since getting dropped on my head
to re-matching Andrade...
get the ball...
all the way to just getting better and all that stuff,
it has been on my mind ever since.
The belt is always on the mind, even in the subconscious.
It always magnifies it.
That's part of the lifestyle, that's part of what we do,
is adapting to change and being ready for everything.
>> Narrator: Just as Namajunas did when she held the title,
reigning queen Zhang Weili is adapting to life at the top,
as China's first ever UFC champion.
>> Cai:
[strikes landing with a thud]
>> Man: Go! Go! Go!
>> Cai:
>> Weili:
[door closes]
>> Narrator: Although she spent the last year away
from competition,
Zhang Weili has been hard at work
with third degree jiu-jitsu black belt,
Pedro Jordao.
An intense focus on grappling continues,
as the title bout
with Namajunas looms large.
>> Jordao: She put a big effort in training grappling
and jiu-jitsu,
because she already was very good on striking
and when she's on the floor she goes for the finish.
She's aggressive and I think she has the key to beat Rose.
[dramatic music]
[timer beeping]
[dramatic music]
>> Weili:
[dramatic music]
>> Weili:
[timer chimes]
>> Narrator: Zhang Weili hopes to extend her remarkable
win streak to 22
consecutive victories on April 24th,
when she faces former champ,
Rose Namajunas,
one of the most cerebral fighters
in the game,
whose preparations for this title bout
began at the dawn of her professional mma campaign.
>> Namajunas: Fighting the level and caliber of fighters that
I have throughout my entire career,
has prepared me for this moment.
>> Joe: When Rose was younger and she just didn't have this
kind of mental strength and all these tough fights that she's
had inside the Octagon with some of the best of the best.
Now you see her here, there is no resemblance to this Rose.
>> I think Weili has got a little bit of almost everybody
that I have fought.
>> Joe: We're noticing right away the length and movement
of Rose.
Oh, excellent kick there by Torres though.
>> Namajunas: Her bounce.
Her kicking.
>> Joe: Inside leg kick again by Zhang.
>> Her punches, her in and out movement is very similar
to Tecia Torres.
>> Joe: Oh, nice left hook by Rose!
>> Mike: Big exchange late in this round!
>> Namajunas: Her counter style and counter attacks are very
similar to Joanna.
>> Joe: But Rose recognizing that these counters are coming
and slides out of the way.
>> Namajunas: Her ground game is very similar to Andrade.
>> John Gooden: Just keeping that side control position
very nicely indeed.
>> Bisping: Kicked her off right back to the feet!
>> Whether she tries to blitz or whether she tries to stand back,
I see myself controlling this fight every second; establishing
my distance, punching her face, taking her back
and choking her out.
>> Anik: Her calling card, her buzzwords, "confidence....
>> Anik and Namajunas: Conditioning.
Composure.
>> Content. I'm a champion.
That's all I was saying the entire time, just my mantra.
>> Anik: She let her actions do the talking.
She has turned the mixed martial arts world on his axis tonight!
>> Narrator: The very best at 115 pounds go toe-to-toe
at UFC 261.
>> Joe: Oh!
Big shot by the champion!
>> Narrator: For a title tilt at Jacksonville,
that you don't want to miss.
>> Anik: Unbeaten since her pro debut back in 2013.
And what an opportunity to remain the hunted.
>> Cormier: You do not win 20 fights in a row by mistake.
>> Joe: This is an amazing fight.
>> Wittman: Make her feel you , girl.
Hold your ground.
>> Bisping: Dictate the pace, use the length, pick her apart.
>> Cormier: It has everything; talent, skills.
>> April 24th, it's going to be "and new" and again,
"Thug" Rose Namajunas.
>> Cormier: This is as good as it gets.