China's Zhang Weili wins debut fight at UFC 227

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Chinese MMA fighter Zhang Weili claimed victory in her first battle in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), beating Danielle Taylor from the US by outpointing her 29-28 in the women’s strawweight division in Saturday's UFC 227 event.

Expected by many to win before the battle at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Zhang kept the advantage in her hands during the 15-minute match by standing at the center of the cage and leaving no chance for Taylor to launch attacks at close distance with her long limbs.

The fight statistics were also proof of Zhang’s dominance: She was leading in all three strike numbers for head (41-23), body (18-9) and leg (35-4).

Weili Zhang (L) kicks Danielle Taylor in the second round of the women's featherweight bout during UFC 227 at Staples Center on August 4, 2018 in Los Angeles, United States. /VCG Photo

Zhang, 28, hails from north China’s Hebei Province and started regular training in kickboxing when she was 13 years old. She fought her first professional battle of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in October 2013. Though she lost, she was already sold on a career in the ring.

In September 2014, Zhang quitted her gym job to become a professional fighter. However, after only one week, an injury in the waist forced her to stop training for nine months, pulling Zhang into the darkest time of her life during which she could not run, jump or even stand straight.

Zhang had her all-time lows one week after starting to train as a professional fighter in 2014, but she was undeterred. /VCG Photo

Zhang did not give up and returned to the ring in December 2015. Since then she has become unstoppable, bagging 16 back-to-back victories before joining Sucker Punch Ent to become a fighter at UFC.

Obstacles still faced Zhang's progress in the field as the applications of her coaching team for a visa to the US were rejected twice. She did not have any sponsor either.

Fighting a battle alone in an alien country, Zhang again had to meet another big challenge in her life, and she fought it with a victory at her debut fight in UFC.