if it alright i want to kick it with you all night

It was her first 115-pound title fight since back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas in 20 ended her dominant two-year run as the division's champion. Meanwhile, Jedrzejczyk enjoyed a relatively pleasant buildup to the event. But I was aware of the impact it had on her.

Had I not been preparing for that call, I don't think I would have thought about COVID. Jon Anik, UFC commentator: There were probably more fist bumps than handshakes that week, but at the time, the only reason COVID was on my radar was because of the trials and tribulations the champ had gone through to get to the fight. My mind wasn't very clear, and I feel like I fought that night mostly on instinct. just two weeks before the fight, I don't think I ever really adjusted to the time differences. Everyone was united with the same goal, to get to Las Vegas, but with all that happening and then getting to the U.S. Zhang: The first thing that comes to my mind is that it was very difficult to get to Las Vegas because of COVID. Zhang eventually arrives in Las Vegas on Feb.

Ranking the fights at UFC 275: Can Zhang Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk deliver once again?.

She flew from the cold, dry climate of Beijing to the warm, humid climate of Thailand, only to be told less than a week later she needed to relocate again to Abu Dhabi - before eventually leaving for the U.S. Zhang Weili would need to leave her native country immediately to ensure she could travel to Las Vegas for her scheduled title defense. 1, 2020, as COVID-19 cases surged in China, but not yet around the world, the UFC's strawweight champion received news that flights between China and the United States were suspended.

More than two years later, when the two fighters will step into the octagon Saturday for a rematch at UFC 275 in Singapore, we take a look back through the eyes of those who witnessed arguably the greatest fight in MMA history - and how a global pandemic almost prevented it from even happening.Įditor's note: Responses have been edited for clarity. The other fighter - Jedrzejczyk had defended the same title five times before losing to Rose Namajunas at UFC 217 - was ready to remind the world that she is the greatest women's strawweight of all time. One fighter was ready for the world to know her name. Headliners Israel Adesanya and Yoel Romero were getting all the attention, with a must-see billing. In her next title defense versus Joanna Jedrzejczyk, the two fighters would face off in the co-main event of a UFC pay-per-view card in Las Vegas.

While that win was historic, that fight wasn't held on the promotion's biggest stage. Seven months earlier, Zhang Weili had dethroned Jessica Andrade in her home country of China in August 2019, becoming the first Chinese champion in UFC history. Before UFC 248, fans were still learning about the UFC's new women's strawweight champion.

If it alright i want to kick it with you all night