“I’m the champion”- Carla Esparza asserts dominance, refuses to go by Zhang Weili’s timeline for title defense
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Zhang Weili on Carla Esparza
Joanna Jedrzejczyk declared her retirement from mixed martial arts after a highlight-reel knockout loss to Zhang at UFC 275. Carla Esparza is the champion of the division and it was understood that the winner will be next in line for the title shot. On the ground, they began where they left off in their previous fight, exchanging strong punches and kicks.
Zhang grabbed control of the ground by pinning Jedrzejczyk to the mat and unleashing a barrage of ground and pound. Zhang took over the ground after Jedrzejczyk was floored by a strong low kick, but Jedrzejczyk was taken down and landed on hard ground and pounded.
After Jedrzejczyk attempted a one-two but missed, Zhang retaliated with a spinning back fist that landed clean on Jedrzejczyk’s chin at the start of the second round. Referee Marc Goddard instantly stopped the fight after Jedrzejczyk crashed into the canvas. Simply said, Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk is a recipe for epic carnage. Regardless of gender, their debut battle at UFC 248 is widely regarded as one of the best ever. On Saturday night, their rematch was likewise fought at lightning speed.
“I’m not trying to go on her timeline”- Carla Esparza says she’s not going to follow Zhang Weili’s timeline
Zhang Weili has proposed date and place for a possible fight with Carla Esparza, but the champion isn’t convinced just yet. Prior to the fight, UFC President Dana White stated that the winner would be the next in line for Esparza, and that will most likely be the case given the former champion’s outstanding performance. Zhang offered a meeting with “The Cookie Monster” in Abu Dhabi at UFC 281 in October in her post-fight scrum. The champion, on the other hand, isn’t ready to hand over control to her opponent.
According to Esparza in The New York Post, she stated, “I definitely don’t feel like I’m in a position where I should rush just because Weili wants a certain date, I’m not trying to go on her timeline. I’m the champion, and I feel she needs to go on my timeline.”
Esparza’s rematch with Namajunas was widely regarded as one of, if not the worst, fights in the history of mixed martial arts. Namajunas’ approach and her tutoring from partner and former UFC heavyweight Pat Barry received a lot of criticism from the MMA world. The two were outspoken about why they should have been the ones to celebrate after the fight, but they hold no grudges against Esparza.
Also read:- John McCarthy motions for more 10-10 rounds after what happened in Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza’s fight
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Harddit Bedi
(344 Articles Published)