Preview: UFC 275 ‘Teixeira vs. Prochazka’

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Women’s Strawweights

#2 WSW | Weili Zhang (21-3, 5-2 UFC) vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4, 10-4 UFC)

ODDS: Zhang (-160), Jedrzejczyk (+140)

There is almost no chance that this strawweight rematch lives up to the first meeting between these two, but there is no shame in that, given that this is a revisiting of one of the greatest fights in mixed martial arts history. There were plenty of questions leading into Zhang’s title defense against Jedrzejczyk at UFC 248, the last card with fans prior to the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Most of those questions were on the Zhang side. She came to the UFC as an undefeated phenom, and with the UFC’s want for a Chinese star, she got the benefit of a short path to a title shot. Zhang’s first win at a near-elite level was a decision win over Tecia Torres, which earned her a crack at then-champion Jessica Andrade. Zhang knocked out Andrade in just 42 seconds, which was obviously an impressive bit of business in its own right, but it did not answer any questions about how “Magnum” would fare in deeper waters—something Jedrzejczyk, the former queen of the division, was hoping to exploit in her attempt to re-affirm herself as a relevant championship-level fighter in the UFC’s deepest female division. After the ensuing fight, both women have earned the right to shut down any questions about their endurance for the rest of their lives, as the two combined for 25 magnificent minutes of hand-to-hand combat. Other bouts may have more momentum swings or narrative value, but it is hard to think of another fight that presented five rounds of non-stop action between two fighters who were evenly matched throughout. Both women wound up battered and bruised, with Jedrzejczyk’s head ending up memorably misshapen. Zhang got the narrow nod on the scorecards, and while a rematch has felt inevitable ever since, it has taken over two years to revisit.

Surprisingly, Jedrzejczyk’s career has been inactive during this entire time. There was the occasional public drama about her demanding more pay for a relevant fight upon her return but also no obvious spot for her to split those uprights. She had lost twice to Rose Namajunas, who subsequently unseated Zhang; and Zhang herself was tied up in the title picture, leaving Jedrzejczyk without a particularly high-profile option. As for Zhang, it was an interesting 2021. She lost her title to Namajunas via knockout in just 78 seconds but managed to drag the now-former champion into an absolute dogfight over the course of five rounds in November, narrowly losing a split decision in their rematch. Suffering her first loss in such stunning fashion does seem to have led Zhang into a period of transition, but it is a testament to her horsepower and toughness that she was still almost able to regain the title despite fighting inefficiently. With Carla Esparza becoming champion in such a manner that guarantees Namajunas will not be getting an immediate rematch, there is a huge opportunity for both participants here. Jedrzejczyk memorably had her breakthrough by annihilating Esparza to win the title back in 2015, and Zhang’s status as the sport’s best Chinese fighter will always give her an easier path to the title even beyond her considerable merit. As for the fight, this figures to be three rounds more of even action, and Zhang still deserves the slight nod. Even if Jedrzejczyk does not show any rust upon her return to the cage, Zhang is still the more offensively potent fighter and should be able to find her left hook throughout; and even if Zhang has some new ideas in terms of a gameplan, Jedrzejczyk figures to press things enough that “Magnum” will be forced to adapt and keep pace much like the first fight. The pick is Zhang via decision.

Jump To »
Teixeira vs. Prochazka
Shevchenko vs. Santos
Zhang vs. Jedrzejczyk
Kape vs. Bontorin
Della Maddalena vs. Emeev
The Prelims