UFC champion takes apart prejudice, blow by blow

Zhang Weili tells how she took courage from health workers fighting coronavirus

UFC champion Zhang Weili said she never abandoned her dream to defend her title, even though she faced novel coronavirus travel restrictions and a wave of online abuse over the outbreak.

The 30-year-old spent more than 70 days traveling to and from Las Vegas to defend her strawweight title on March 7, covering seven cities and four countries along the way.

Zhang said she was determined to retain the Ultimate Fighting Championship belt she won in August, and was inspired by the courage of health workers battling the novel coronavirus outbreak in China.

"I thought 'no', every medical worker and community worker in China is working to fight against the coronavirus and doing their best," she said when asked if she had thought of abandoning the fight.

"I had no reason to quit my contest although I was challenged by enormous difficulties."

The United States government announced on Jan 31 that it would bar entry to the majority of foreign nationals who had recently visited the Chinese mainland.

The UFC contacted Zhang's team and said she had to act immediately if she wanted to be in Las Vegas in time for the March 7 fight, Xinhua News Agency reported.

She jumped on a plane to Thailand on Feb 1, intending to spend 14 days in quarantine there before traveling to the US.

However, the coronavirus outbreak also hit Thailand and she decided to fly to Abu Dhabi on Feb 8 to undergo quarantine.

She was joined by her coach, and on Feb 18 US immigration officials in Abu Dhabi told her that her entry visa had been approved.

On Feb 21, she departed on a 25-hour flight to Las Vegas. On arrival in the entertainment mecca she resumed training after just a two-hour rest.