UFC News: Ronda Rousey sends a message to Strawweight Champion Weili Zhang
Weili Zhang created history at the recently concluded Fight Night 157 event in Shenzhen, China by becoming the first Chinese fighter to win a championship in the UFC.
Zhang knocked out Jessica Andrade in 42 seconds to win the Strawweight title while also extending her winning streak to 20 victories on the trot.
While Zhang's iconic win garnered reactions from all corners of the MMA community, former Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey's comment would surely mean a lot to the Chinese mixed martial artist.
Rousey congratulated the new Strawweight Champion and stated that the future was in bright hands. Indeed.
Ever since swapping the Octagon for the squared circle, Rousey has stayed away from making comments on MMA, which makes her Instagram post on Zhang's victory all the more surprising. Maybe not so much considering Rousey was also synonymous for having monumental moments in UFC.
Ronda Rousey may be known as a pro wrestler these days but she is the most important figure in Women's MMA history. There wouldn't have been women's divisions in the UFC if not for Rousey.
The former UFC Bantamweight Champion notched up six successful title defenses and came to be known as the Armbar queen during her reign of terror in the Women's 135 lbs division.
Her rampaging run came to a screeching halt when she was knocked out by Holly Holm at UFC 193 in November 2015. Holm's victory is still considered to be one of the greatest upsets in UFC history.
Rousey returned a year later intending to reclaim the title against Amanda Nunes. However, The Lioness exposed Rousey's striking frailties and handed her a humbling 48-second knockout loss.
Rowdy retired from MMA and decided to give pro wrestling a shot a few years later. Rousey's rookie year in the WWE saw her capture the Raw Women's title and main event WrestleMania, a first for women in WWE. In short, Rousey's first year in WWE was a resounding success.
She is currently on a hiatus but is expected to resume her WWE career soon.
As for 'Magnum' Weili Zhang, the new queen of the Strawweight division proved that she is the real deal and will now look to embark on a dominant run with the title, akin to Ronda Rousey.