“I’d Love To See You Go for Second Belt”: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Has an Opponent in Mind for Newly Crowned Champion at UFC 281

Weili Zhang was victorious in her relentless pursuit of the UFC strawweight world championship. The Chinese fighter was successful in her bid, capturing the coveted title once again since she lost it over a year ago. Zhang’s supremacy was acknowledged by multiple UFC stars and martial artists alike, when she took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the victory, by thanking her family, friends, and coaches. 

One such congratulatory statement that stood out amongst the long list of congrats was the comment left by Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg sent his heartfelt wishes to Zhang while expressing his desire to see her compete against a certain other champion in a different weight class. 

Zuckerberg commented-

“Congrats! I’d love to see you fight Valentina for a second belt.”

The social media tycoon garnered the attention of the martial arts community earlier this year, when footage of the 38-year-old training became a global sensation. 

Also read: Dana White Exploring Route To Asia With Weili Zhang Vs. Rose Namajunas

Weili Zhang vs Carla Esparza. 

Zhang Weili and Carla Esparza were the co-main event at UFC 281 in Madison Square Garden. The pair clashed in an integral contest, with the stakes being the highest within the 115 lbs division.

Zhang and Esparza were both contesting for the Straw weight world title, and the encounter went exactly how you expected. 

While Esparza’s strategy involved her utilizing her wrestling, Zhang inculcated a diversified approach. She decided to display her remarkable striking. However, it was her wrestling proficiency that captured the attention of the masses. 

After a rather competitive first round, which involved multiple scrambles, Zhang proceeded to control the remainder of the fight with her striking ascendancy.

She also imposed upon Esparza her own brand of wrestling. Before the bell to call the round was sounded, Zhang obtained the tap from Esparza in a variation of a rear naked choke. 

As fate would have it, two years later the 33-year-old once again reigned supreme. She was now a two-time UFC world champion. Surreal. 

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Weili Zhang vs Valentina Shevchenko?

“Weight should never be an issue. Champions should be able to go up and down and fight any challenge that comes before them.” These are words hailed by the face of the UFC, Conor McGregor in 2016 prior to his first bout with Nate Diaz. 

With the difference between the 115lbs and 125 lbs divisions, a mere 10 pounds, one can’t help but wonder if the contest would come to fruition. 

Shevchenko has been a phenomenal champion since her reign began in 2018. She remains undefeated within the weight class. As such, there have been no real threats to her throne, which is an indication of just how immense her skillset is. 

She has dismantled all the top contenders the weight class has to offer, picking them apart one by one. With there being little to no competition left for her to enhance her credibility, a prospective encounter against the 115lbs champion would make a lot of sense. 

Zhang, on the other hand, is coming off back-to-back finishes of two former champions in their own right. The idea of a super-fight between two of the very best martial artists on planet Earth should be highly entertained. 

Shevchenko and Zhang are the most complete women’s martial artists alive today. Their fight would make for a riveting watch. 

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