Zhang Weili’s Legacy Grows After Historic UFC 312 Performance
Zhang Weili delivered a career-high performance at UFC 312, defending her strawweight crown against then-undefeated Tatiana Suarez. The fight occurred on February 9, 2025, at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, and showed Zhang’s ability to adapt to one of the most dangerous grapplers in the division. Suarez was 10-0 entering the octagon and had a reputation for suffocating her opponents with her wrestling-based style. Maybe Suarez was a favorite on UFC betting sites due to this streak, but Zhang took her by surprise.
Through five rounds, she effectively thwarted 15 of Suarez’s 16 attempts at takedowns and tossed in precise shots to keep Suarez guessing. Muting Suarez’s strongest asset in the way of takedowns was key to Zhang’s win by unanimous decision, as judges’ scorecards read 49-46, 49-46, and 49-45.
Highest statistics for the fight are:
- Takedown defense: Zhang stuffed 93% of Suarez’s takedowns (15 out of 16).
- Striking dominance: Zhang landed 232 significant strikes to Suarez’s negligible offensive output.
- Octagon control: Zhang dictated the range and tempo of the fight in rounds two through five.
The performance secured Zhang her fourth consecutive title defense and demonstrated her evolution as one of the most well-rounded fighters in contemporary MMA.
Breaking Down Zhang’s Road to Success
The fight started with Suarez attempting to impose her wrestling technique early in round one. Though she managed to score one takedown, Zhang was up immediately and dominated with precise striking combinations. Throughout the fight, it was clear that Zhang had worked hard.
In the second round, she effectively used lateral movement and underhooks to isolate Suarez from closing the distance. On her feet, Zhang’s striking was accurate—she targeted body and leg shots on Suarez with kicks while finishing punches cleanly in combinations. Her disorganized attacks left Suarez off balance and unable to establish any rhythm.
By the championship rounds, Zhang had created utter dominance of the bout. Not only was she successfully blocking takedowns, but she was also taking revenge on Suarez for each failed attempt with counterpunches. The blending of defensive perfection and pinpoint offense left little doubt as to who would emerge victorious when the final bell sounded.
Securing Her Legacy in Strawweight History
Zhang Weili’s win at UFC 312 adds another chapter to an already remarkable career. Since reclaiming her title in November 2022 with a submission victory over Carla Esparza, Zhang has gone on to defeat elite contenders like Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan before taking on Suarez—arguably her toughest stylistic matchup to date.
Her latest win takes her career total number of successful title defenses to three in two stints as champion. With each victory, Zhang edges closer to Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s record of five strawweight title defenses—something that the overwhelming majority views as the gold standard in this weight class.
What separates Zhang is her ability to progress and adapt with each adversary. Early in her career, she was primarily known for her stand-up skills, but more recent fights have unveiled significant improvements to her grappling and wrestling defense. In facing Suarez, a grappler widely regarded as being amongst the greatest female wrestlers in the sport, Zhang proved that she is considerably more than capable of handling elite grapplers on the highest level.
What’s Next for Zhang Weili?
The strawweight division is still loaded with talent, but there are not many fighters who look ready to unseat Zhang Weili anytime in the near future. Some possible challengers are Mackenzie Dern, who has been working her way up the rankings with enhanced striking and world-class jiu-jitsu, and Marina Rodriguez, a lethal striker who might challenge Zhang’s stand-up skills.
For now, though, Zhang reigns over the division as a champion whose legend continues to build with each bout. Whether she breaks records or cuts weight for new challenges remains to be seen—but one thing is certain: Zhang Weili is leaving her mark on MMA’s all-time greats.
Zhang Weili’s bout at UFC 312 was a statement that she is still developing as a fighter and is still one of the most dreaded competitors in mixed martial arts altogether. Fans will certainly be paying close attention to this amazing champion as she presses on toward greatness.
