Zhang Weili’s first UFC strawweight title defense will come against the division’s most successful champion.
Former titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk will attempt to regain the crown when she challenges Weili for the 115-pound belt at UFC 248, which takes place March 7 at a location to be determined.
MMA Junkie confirmed with multiple people close to the situation that the verbal agreements are in place for the matchup following an initial report from MMA Fighting. The people requested anonymity because the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.
Weili (20-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC), the No. 1 fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie strawweight rankings, claimed UFC gold in August with a stunning first-round knockout of Jessica Andrade. The Chinese champ’s victory extended her winning streak to 20 consecutive fights dating back to April 2014.
No. 5 Jedrzejczyk (16-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will have her chance to regain the belt she lost to Rose Namajunas in November 2017. The Polish fighter has since dropped a rematch to Namajunas and a flyweight title fight against Valentina Shevchenko, but has picked up a pair of quality wins, as well, with the latest coming against Michelle Waterson at UFC on ESPN+ 19 in October.
