Zhang Weili lost her strawweight title to Rose Namajunas at UFC 261, suffering a first-round T/KO loss. ‘Magnum’ has been a dominant force of nature since joining the UFC, and her incredible professional record is a testament to the same. However, at UFC 261, Namajunas showed why she is considered one of the best fighters in the world.

Perhaps the most notable incident of the pay-per-view was the former UFC middleweight champion, Chris Weidman, suffering a gruesome leg break against Uriah ‘Primetime’ Hall. Weili, on The Bronze Age, aired on Tencent CQ, revealed that Weidman’s injury might have affected her performance in the title fight.

“The fighter in my previous fight, who was in the same waiting room as me [Weidman], his leg was snapped. I even touched gloves with him when he left for the fight, and I said ‘good luck’. I saw his leg snapped like that. I felt like my mind wasn’t completely focused on the match. I wasn’t as focused. You can’t lose focus for even 0.01 seconds. No, no. It’s that cruel,” she said. (H/T by SCMP).

The incident could really have taken a toll on the Chinese superstar as injuries like the one ‘The All American’ suffered, are painful to watch for anybody. One can only imagine what Weili felt ahead of her fight after seeing Weidman’s leg.

Zhang Weili vows to come back stronger

The loss to ‘Thug’ was Weili’s first competitive one since her first MMA fight. Hence, she thinks it might be a blessing in disguise for her, as it will only make the stigma of a loss easier.

“I was always afraid of losing when I kept winning, very afraid. The more you win, the more you are afraid. Like, ‘what if I lose … ?” said Weili.

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‘Magnum’ added, “After losing the fight I started to reflect back. It feels different all of a sudden. This time I feel like perhaps what I’ve learned is more than what I would learn from a win. Right now I feel great. I think my mental strength is way stronger than before.”

‘Magnum‘ is expected to face Namajunas in a rematch next. Given her prowess as a fighter, one can only imagine that the Chinese star will come back stronger than ever to the Octagon.