China’s UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili voted Female Fighter of the Year for 2024
Strawweight champion and world No 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings was the first female, Asian athlete to become a UFC champion
China’s Zhang Weili has been voted Female Fighter of the Year at the World MMA awards on Friday.
The strawweight champion and world No 2 in the pound-for-pound rankings was the first female, Asian athlete to become a champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
And her most recent bout saw her defeat compatriot Yan Xiaonan by a unanimous decision at UFC 300 in April to retain her strawweight title.
This was the second time has won the yearly award, having also claimed it in 2022.
“Thank you for voting for me as the best female fighter of 2024,” Zhang said in a video message. “Thank you to all the fans that voted for me. Thank you to everyone at Fighters Only.
“Thank you to all my opponents. This year was a great year, and next year will be even better.”