Zhang Weili shares honest opinion on Israel Adesanya getting emotional during weight cut prior to UFC Saudi Arabia

Zhang Weili reacted to a video clip of Israel Adesanya getting emotional during his weight cut before his fight at UFC Saudi Arabia, where he suffered a devastating loss. The reigning UFC strawweight champion shared her thoughts on the challenges of cutting weight.

Adesanya squared off with Nassourdine Imavov in the headliner of UFC Fight Night Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1. The former middleweight champion was knocked out by punches in the second round.

Prior to the fight, ‘The Last Stylebender' shared a video of himself cutting weight, during which he appeared emotional and seemed to be in pain, even sobbing. He explained that this weight-cutting ritual is something that helps fighters reach the next level.

Adesanya said:

“I'm not even in pain, I just feel everything. This is some kind of ritual we always do, it takes it to that next level. It's like a f**king ceremony where we get to ascend to the next level.”

ESPN MMA reshared the video on Instagram, which garnered a reaction from Weili.

The strawweight queen shared her perspective on weight cutting, acknowledging its difficulty but encouraging fighters to embrace it.

Weili commented:

“Behind every bright and beautiful, there is a difficult process, and the effort is far beyond the hardship of ordinary people. We just have to enjoy it.”

Check out the screenshot of Zhang Weili's comment below:

Screenshot of Zhang Weili's comment. [Screenshot courtesy: @espnmma on Instagram]

The weight-cutting process has been a topic of debate in the MMA world, with many fans and experts such as UFC commentator Joe Rogan suggesting the addition of new weight divisions or the possibility of weigh-ins occurring just before the fights. This would allow fighters to compete closer to their natural weight class.

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Zhang Weili set for strawweight title defense against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312

Zhang Weili will put her strawweight belt on the line against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in the co-main event.

The fight is scheduled to take place at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 8.

‘Magnum,’ was last seen in the octagon against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300, where she secured a unanimous decision victory.

Meanwhile, Suarez last competed in August 2023 against Jessica Andrade, delivering a spectacular performance by submitting the ex-champ in the second round via guillotine choke.