Despite coming into the bout as the betting underdog for the first time as a champion, Zhang Weili was able to dominate Tatiana Suarez in a five-round decision to end the challenger's undefeated streak and retain the UFC women's strawweight title in the UFC 312 co-main event.
Suarez easily took control of the fight in the opening minute, scoring a takedown. The American did not land shots but remained on top without much trouble. Suarez even looked for a guillotine, but she was unable to complete the choke.
Zhang was more than ready entering round two, however. She prevented a takedown and managed to drop right into mount. With the two practically against the fence in one way or another for quite a bit of the round, the defending champion landed plenty of shots from top control.
"Magnum" scored a couple of noteworthy strikes in the third round, including a right hand that clearly rocked Suarez. The champ continued to stop the takedown attempts from the challenger, displaying complete control of the action.
Zhang Weili Retains Strawweight Title, Hands Tatiana Suarez First Loss
"Magnum" continued this pace over the course of the next two rounds, stopping any attempts from Suarez to get back into the fight and dominating more in top control.
The judges ultimately scored the bout in the champ's favor, with two 49-46s and a 49-45.
Zhang has now won five straight, including successful defenses against Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan in her second reign as UFC strawweight champion. She now ties Joanna Jedrzejczyk with six successful defenses of the 115-pound title.
With her dominant victory tonight, some now wonder if "Magnum" will be booked for a superfight against flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko in the near future.
Meanwhile, this was Suarez's first fight since her August 2023 win over Jessica Andrade.