This year, the theme of the women’s theme of Rilakkuma is “tribute to the struggler”, to pay tribute to “her power” in the epidemic, and also to women in the sports field Struggle. In this fight against epidemics, they not only fulfilled their duties in their respective positions, but also promoted a more humane and pluralistic society. In the field of sports, for a long time, they have been fighting for faster, higher, stronger and equal rights. This article is from the WeChat public account: sloth bear PHYSICAL (ID: lanxiongsports) , Author: Wan rain core, FIG head Source: IC photo
Fighting looks more like a stage for men, and Zhang Weili stands on top of the world. She said, Women shouldn’t be defined, and women’s beauty “can be powerful and very healthy” After becoming the first athlete in the history of China and even Asia to win the UFC gold belt, Zhang Weili accepted an exclusive interview with Sloth Bear Sports.
At noon on March 8, Beijing time, Chinese female MMA player Zhang Weili defeated Polish player Joanna in the world’s top fighting competition UFC, defending the women’s grass welterweight title . So far, she has become the first athlete in China and Asia to defend the title.
But as Zhang Weili said in the post-match interview, the road to defending this time can be difficult. Affected by the epidemic, Zhang Weili once faced the dilemma of being unable to enter the United States. If it is not possible to successfully arrive in Las Vegas, where the game is held, for preparations, this will bring great changes to Zhang Weili’s road to defending his title.
In order to successfully stand in this octagonal cage for battle, Zhang Weili had to fly from her motherland to Thailand for training on February 1. After a week in Thailand, she flew to Dubai, the UAE, for two weeks of training. On February 18, Zhang Weili finally got a US visa in Dubai, and the stone in her heart landed.
In these three weeks in Thailand and the United Arab Emirates, Zhang Weili ’s training has also been affected. Sometimes she can only use the bed as a fulcrum to jump up and down in the hotel to maintain muscle status. Zhang Weili’s mood was very unstable at that time. She called her mother to talk and said that she was frustrated. Mother Zhang said to her daughter, “Now the frontline doctors and nurses in the country do not even have time to sleep, and you should be grateful for this and overcome all difficulties.”
Mother’s words make Zhang Weili regain her confidence. On February 22, Zhang Weili finally arrived in Las Vegas, USA. Although a week later than the original plan, fortunately, she still has enough time to prepare for the final pre-match in the United States.
On the day of the game, Zhang Weili vowed before the game that she might lose her opponent soon. But the process of the game was far more difficult than Zhang Weili expected. Facing his opponent with height and wingspan, Zhang Weili was unable to reproduce the 43-second KO “miracle” when she won the first championship in Shenzhen last year, but was dragged into 5 hard battles by her opponent. Fortunately, Zhang Weili is fully prepared and still playing stable. After the end of the 5th game, the referee decided to win the thrilling defending battle.
“It’s not easy for me to come here to participate in the competition. Now that my country has an epidemic, it’s not easy for me to come here after passing through several countries. I hope my country will quickly get through the epidemic, but the epidemic is no longer It ’s a matter for the Chinese, I think it ’s a matter for all humankind. I hope everyone can work together to overcome the epidemic. ”Zhang Weili said in a post-match interview that although the on-site translation was not expressed, she showed a Chinese attitude.
Last December, Zhang Weili accepted an interview with Sloth Bear Sports. In that interview, Zhang Weili not only expressed her desire for the defending golden belt, but also shared with her her growth and mental journey from obscurity to the top of the world. She also hopes to inspire more female friends through her story, and she feels that “women should never be defined.” She also talked about some ideas and plans after her future retirement.
The following is a video interview with Zhang Weili by Rilakkuma Sports: