A Fight for the Strawweight Belt: UFC 261 Zhang vs. Namajunas

Last Updated on April 22, 2021 2:07 pm by

On Saturday, April 24, reigning champion Weili Zhang will face Rose Namajunas in the UFC 261 co-feature event. This fight will be the third main card of the night, in which it is one of the three title fights that are set to take place at the VyStart Veterans Memorial Arena. A plus in this event is the incorporation of a live audience, in which it will be the first event with a public presence since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

How Did Zhang and Namajunas Get to This Fight?

This fight will have current champion Weili Zhang, who is looking to hold on to her strawweight belt. The Chinese star’s current record is 21 wins and 1 loss, and she currently has a 5-0 run in the UFC. Zhang comes into this fight with confidence through the roof, after defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk in what is said to be the best fight ever seen on the female side of MMA.

Weili Zhang has shown no more than absolute dominance since joining the UFC circuit in her debut in 2018. So much so that Zhang has won her last 21 professional fights in MMA including the UFC, becoming the first Chinese champion fighter in the UFC.

You can watch the best moments of Weili Zhang at:

On the other hand, we have Rose Namajunas who will have the opportunity to regain the women’s strawweight champion belt in the UFC after having lost it when she was knocked out by Jessica Andrade at UFC 237. Despite this loss, Namajunas is coming from a stupendous victory taking revenge on Andrade at UFC 251 in 2020, where she won by split decision.

Former female strawweight champion Namajunas has stated that defeating Zhang in the UFC 261 event would mean more than a victory for her, it would be a vindication where she would once again be the owner of the championship belt. Another strong statement by Namajunas is that, for her, defeating Zhang would be like defeating communism. This, without a doubt, is a perfect seasoning that can predict how interesting and intense the fight will be.

You can watch the best moments of Namajunas at:

Important Fight Information

When is it? The fight will be on Saturday, April 24, 2021.
What time is it? The fight starts at 22:00 ET (Main Card).
Where? VyStart Veterans Memorial Arena, Jacksonville, Florida, EE.UU.
Where can I watch it? ESPN, ESPN+, UFC Fight Pass.

Betting Line for Zhang vs. Namajunas

This fight will be between two fighters who are used to this type of fight. Both fighters have been bearers of the championship belt, that is why, due to experience, we could say that they are on par. However, the current streak and the inspiration with which Weili Zhang brings makes us believe that she will be able to finish off Namajunas long before the fight ends. Therefore, we place our winner token on Weili Zhang.

Moneyline: (-175) – Weili Zhang (+160) – Rose Namajunas

Predictions