The UFC is currently experiencing a fierce rivalry-to-BFF pipeline, and honestly, we’re all here for it. You might think we’re talking about Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker or Adesanya and Alex Pereira, but nope, we’re going all the way back to the first pair from this unique assembly line—Zhang Weili and Joanna Jędrzejczyk.
These two fighters went from heated rivals in one of the most brutal bouts in UFC history to now sharing a mutual respect that has everyone buzzing. Weili and Jędrzejczyk’s rivalry was nothing short of intense. Their fight at UFC 248 in March 2020 was a brutal five-round battle that many consider one of the greatest in women’s MMA history.
In the lead-up to the fight, Jędrzejczyk made some sharp remarks, expressing her confidence in reclaiming the title and downplaying Weili’s previous victories. Despite the animosity, the bout showcased their mutual respect and skill, with Weili narrowly winning by split decision. With the bad blood now in the past, Zhang is now happy to hang out with Joanna and even go a step further.
When asked by Nina Marie Daniele, who she would like to swap lives, without any hesitation, Weili said,
“JJ, Joanna, he has pictures of her skiing, she travels a lot. All over the world.”
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Since her retirement, Joanna has been living her best life back home in Poland—chilling with family, traveling the world, catching up with old friends, and even taking on some adventure sports. Honestly, it’s not surprising that Weili would want to swap lives with her for a day. I mean, who wouldn’t?
But here’s the kicker—Joanna and Weili are actually so tight now that Joanna showed up for UFC 312, all thanks to Weili’s insistence. Talk about a full-circle moment! But this love and respect didn’t come overnight.
Oh no, the last time these two shared an octagon, it wasn’t all hugs and smiles. Joanna ended up looking like ET after that fight, with her face so swollen from Weili’s strikes that it was hard to recognize her.
bruh zhang weili turned joanna’s head into a balloon pic.twitter.com/mLBvWMPCdI
— Ethan (@polyethane) March 8, 2020
By the end of the fight, the entire arena was on its feet. It even got voted MMA Fighting’s Fight of the Year in 2020.
A closer look at arguably the greatest title fight in history
Calling it a dogfight would actually be an understatement since even dogs stop fighting after a point. These two had no desire to do so. Neither of them knocked the other one out but it was death by a thousand cuts. Weili landed 165 significant strikes, while Joanna connected with 186 of her own.
It was punch for punch, kick for kick, and after a point, neither of them was even bothering to keep their hands up. Joanna was as precise as she had always been while Weili was throwing one haymaker after another. Normally when we get to see fights like these, it is just wild swinging but both these fighters were landing perfect combos to every part of the body.
Neither of them stopped or slowed down to take a breather either. And all of this was before the championship rounds. The pair somehow got more violent and put on more pace. Even the commentators were in awe!
Two years ago today, Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk delivered an instant classic at UFC 248 pic.twitter.com/mhI7ZGYkDI
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) March 7, 2022
The fight was widely reported and celebrated, with many pundits considering it the greatest fight in women’s MMA history, arguably the best title fight the promotion has ever hosted. And 5 years later, they are happy to hug it out and show up for each other’s important milestones in life!
Sharing an octagon for 25 minutes in the most primal of sports is an experience most people will never have. It’s unlikely that many can understand how two warriors, after such a brutal exchange, can come together with mutual respect and admiration. But evidently, it can be done!s
