Zhang Weili has revealed why she opted for a shorter hairstyle ahead of her upcoming championship bout at UFC 268.
In a recent interview with The Schmo, the former UFC women's strawweight champion said the haircut happened out of her fear of going bald.
"She's afraid that she'll get bald because practicing BJJ she lost a lot of hair," said Zhang Weili's translator.
Watch The Schmo's full interview with Zhang Weili below:
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Zhang Weili will face Rose Namajunas in a rematch for the strawweight title at UFC 268 on November 6. The pay-per-view will mark the promotion's return to Madison Square Garden in New York.
'Magnum' has adopted a new regime and moved her camp to the United States to get ready to face 'Thug Rose' for the second time. Weili is training with former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo to prepare for the co-main event bout.
Zhang Weili was on a three-fight win streak in the UFC when she got an opportunity to compete in her first championship bout in the promotion. The Chinese star defeated Jessica Andrade in just 45 seconds and became the first ever Chinese and East Asian champion in UFC history.
'Magnum' then made her first defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the co-main event of UFC 248. Zhang Weili and Jedrzejczyk delivered possibly the greatest fight in women’s MMA history. Both engaged in continuous back-and-forth action throughout the fight. The clash went the distance and Weili won via a narrow split decision.
Zhang Weili failed to defend her strawweight title at UFC 261
Zhang Weili failed to defend her strawweight title against Rose Namajunas. The pair faced each other in the co-main event of UFC 261 in April this year.
Namajunas landed a spectacular head kick in the first round that dropped 'Magnum' to the ground. 'Thug Rose' followed it by landing a barrage of punches before the referee intervened and stopped the bout.
Rose Namajunas handed Weili the first KO loss of her career. She also ended the Chinese native's winning streak at 21. In doing so, the 29-year-old became the new UFC women's strawweight champion and also became the first female fighter to regain a championship in the UFC.
Zhang Weili was mostly gracious despite losing her title. During the post-fight interview, she vowed to come back and challenge for the title again. She promised to bring a "new" form of herself when she returned to the cage, something she'll be hoping to display come November 6.