“I think it's probably better than what she's been doing" - Rose Namajunas on Zhang Weili training with Henry Cejudo ahead of their UFC title rematch
Rose Namajunas believes that Chinese MMA stalwart Zhang Weili could potentially benefit from training with Henry Cejudo.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, ‘Thug’ Rose was asked for her thoughts on Zhang Weili shifting her training camp to train with MMA legend Henry Cejudo in Arizona. Namajunas responded to this by stating:
“As far as her training camp and, you know, training with Henry Cejudo, I think she can pick up a few things. And, you know, I think it’s probably better than what she’s been doing. So, I’m just expecting a better version of her. And, you know, maybe a little more well-rounded and whatnot. But at the end of the day, it’s all about my preparation. And you know, obviously, like, I wanted to fight Carla [Esparza]. So, she [Zhang] is gonna wrestle a little more, then great, you know. Let me test that out too. So, I’m ready for all of it.”
Additionally, Helwani pointed out that Zhang Weili cut her hair short somewhat similarly to how Rose Namajunas does. ‘Thug’ Rose addressed this and indicated that some fighters are inconvenienced by long hair. Namajunas also believes that Zhang likely had a short haircut in her younger years and wanted to go back to that hairstyle, which explains her new short haircut.
You can watch Rose Namajunas in conversation with Ariel Helwani below:
Can Zhang Weili recover from her first UFC loss and dethrone Rose Namajunas?
Zhang Weili’s professional MMA record is 21-2. After losing via unanimous decision in her MMA debut matchup, ‘Magnum’ went on an impressive run that took her all the way to the UFC women’s strawweight title.
She won the title by defeating Jessica Andrade via first-round TKO and then successfully defended her title via split decision against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Following this, Zhang faced Rose Namajunas at UFC 261 in April this year.
Zhang lost her title to Namajunas via first-round KO. This marked the second loss of Zhang’s pro MMA career and her first in the UFC. Many believe that her rematch against ‘Thug’ Rose is pivotal for the Chinese MMA star’s career.
A possible trilogy fight could be on the cards if she manages to beat Namajunas in their rematch. However, if Zhang loses, it’ll likely put her out of the title picture for a considerable amount of time, unless Namajunas loses the title to someone else. Rose Namajunas is scheduled to defend her UFC women’s strawweight title in a rematch against Zhang Weili at UFC 268 on November 6th.