UFC 275 - Prochazka dethrones Teixeira, Shevchenko retains and Jedrzejczyk retires after loss

The bar had been set sky-high, yet Zhang Weili again reached for the stars.

Two years after she and fellow former UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk engaged in what many consider the greatest fight in women's MMA history, the two had another classic slugfest at UFC 275 on Saturday in Singapore. This one lasted only 2 minutes, 28 seconds into Round 2 before Zhang used a spinning backfist to knock out Jedrzejczyk, who announced her retirement right afterward.

«I'm very, very happy for this fight,» Zhang said through an interpreter. «I told myself I would use all of my aspects to beat my opponent, and I did it.»

Indeed, Zhang (22-3) scored three takedowns in the first round after getting just one in the 25-minute first fight. Once she had Jedrzejczyk on the canvas, the 32-year-old from China punished her opponent with several elbows to the head. Jedrzejczyk survived to Round 2, but midway through, she fell face-first to the canvas after absorbing the spinning attack from Zhang.

Afterward, a tearful Jedrzejczyk (16-5), who reigned as champ from 2015 to 2017, placed her gloves at the center of the cage and announced she was finished fighting. «I'm turning 35 this year,» she said. «I want to be a mom. I want to be a businesswoman.»

Zhang ended a two-fight losing streak against Rose Namajunas, who took away the 115-pound title belt in April 2021 and won the rematch a little over six months later.

Although the UFC did not bill Saturday's fight as a title eliminator, Zhang performed impressively enough to earn her a shot at champion Carla Esparza, whom she called out, targeting UFC 281 on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

«It's not your territory; it's not my territory,» Zhang said. «Let's meet in Abu Dhabi and