UFC champ Zhang Weili reveals why she avoided Mark Zuckerberg before match
By Ryan General
UFC champion Zhang Weili prioritized focus over a meet-and-greet with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ahead of her title defense at UFC 300 last month.
Key details:
- Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan are big fans of the Chinese MMA star.
- Zhang revealed in a livestream she purposefully avoided greeting Zuckerberg before the fight to maintain her focus.
- Zhang successfully defended her strawweight title against her compatriot Yan Xiaonan.
About Zhang:
- Nicknamed “Magnum,” Zhang is the first UFC female world champion from Asia and the first Chinese UFC champion.
- She started training in martial arts at the age of 6.
- Despite suffering from early injuries, she continued training in Sanda and boxing, before eventually finding success in the UFC.
The details:
- On April 13, Zhang defeated Yan at UFC 300 in Las Vegas by unanimous decision, with each judge scoring the fight 49-45.
- Following the fight, Zhang received congratulations from Zuckerberg and Chan and took photos with them.
- Zhang confessed during a livestream on April 16 that she deliberately avoided Zuckerberg before the match.
- “I needed to focus on the match,” Zhang explained. “A staff member said Zuckerberg wanted to greet me, but I said I couldn’t. I turned away when he passed by.”
- Zuckerberg, who trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is a known mixed martial arts enthusiast.
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