“She’s a thick little tank, man. All muscle. Fifteen was getting old for her, and now the juice is finally worth the squeeze.” Zhang Weili’s head coach, John Wood, told MiddleEasy, suggesting her power has become overwhelming for strawweights. Now, ‘Magnum’ is ready to make the jump to flyweight, where she’ll face Valentina Shevchenko. Still, critics have been asking questions about whether Weili might be undersized at 125 lbs. But based on her lifting Shaquille O’Neal and Francis Ngannou, both, size might be the last thing anyone should worry about. 

In 2023, Weili showed just how strong she really is by lifting Shaquille O’Neal after running into the NBA legend at the MMA Star gym. But that wasn’t the only jaw-dropping moment. The former 115-pound champion pulled off the same unbelievable feat by lifting Francis Ngannou a year before lifting Shaq. Now, as Weili prepares to face Valentina Shevchenko at Madison Square Garden, the video of her effortlessly lifting two gigantic human beings has started resurfacing.  

UFC 322 co-main Zhang Weili’s strength on display in picking up Shaquille O’Neal and Francis Ngannou 

TNT Sports UFC uploaded the clips of Weili lifting Shaq and Ngannou on Instagram and captioned, “Do you even lift? 👀💪 Zhang Weili lifting up Shaq and Francis Ngannou like it’s nothing is absolutely INSANE 🤯.”

And it truly was insane. Even the former 324 lbs NBA star reacted in shock when ‘Magnum’ lifted him without showing any effort, while Francis Ngannou couldn’t believe she managed to lift him as if he wasn’t over 290 lbs. The former heavyweight champion shared his reaction on X.

‘The Predator’ wrote in a 2022 post, “I can’t believe that Zhang Weili just picked me up like I wasn’t 293lbs. I didn’t want her to do it I was scared of her hurting her back and was trying to explain this to her….then found myself suddenly up in the air. Her strength ratio is through the roof.”

So, judging by Shaq and Ngannou’s testimony, Zhang Weili’s strength and power will likely carry over without any real issues. Still, the former UFC strawweight champion believes it’s not just her physicality that will be a problem. She also thinks her fighting style will give her the edge against Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 322. 

‘Magnum’ reveals her edge against ‘Bullet’ 

While ruling the 115-pound division, Zhang Weili didn’t just prove how incredibly strong she was against challengers. Her technical growth, especially in wrestling, became highly noticeable. Early in her career, ‘Magnum’ was viewed as one of the most technical strikers in the women’s division, but now, Weili believes her techniques have sharpened even more, always inspiring her to become a complete martial artist. 

In the UFC 322 countdown video, the former 115-pound champion said, “All I do every day is eat, sleep, train, and research techniques. I think my fighting style changes with each match. I’m constantly switching up my techniques, switching up my style. So my advantage is that tactically, I’m constantly showing different things.”

While the 36-year-old Chinese legend is confident in her abilities, she also gave flowers to her opponent, praising ‘Bullet’s’ strength and calling her one of the most well-rounded fighters with mastery in both striking and wrestling. Weili added, “I think Valentina is very well-rounded, but I also feel I’ve become more well-rounded as well. So whether it’s wrestling, ground game, or striking, I’ll be thoroughly prepared for this fight.”

With two of the most dominant forces colliding, the UFC 322 co-main event is set to steal the spotlight. And now, with only a few days left before this ultimate superfight, do you think Weili can defeat Shevchenko and become a double champion? Let us know in the comments below.