On April 14, Zhang Weili defeated Yan Xiaonan in a "China Derby" and defended the UFC strawweight gold belt. Photo/Xinhua News Agency In early November, Zhang Weili is about to go to Thailand to train to prepare for the next defense battle. In an interview with the Beijing News a

After defeating compatriot Yan Xiaonan in April this year, Zhang Weili defended the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) strawweight gold belt. Half a year has passed, and a new challenger has yet to be identified. When talking about this topic, Zhang Weili said that she can beat anyone, but her opponent is herself. This is not the first time Zhang Weili has defended her title. She said she was under a lot of pressure when she defended her title before. She was always worried about losing her gold belt, but not anymore. After the new challenger is determined, she will put the belt aside and regard herself as a challenger, so that she will be more eager to win.

mentality

She is also a challenger, it doesn’t matter who she defends her title against

After her title defense against Yan Xiaonan in April this year, Zhang Weili has been in a state of rest. During this period, Zhang Weili participated in activities when there were activities, and maintained a training rhythm of six days a week when there were no activities. Sometimes I watch the game too late on Saturday, sleep in on Sunday, and the day is over, and I can continue practicing on Monday. When

was interviewed at noon on October 30, Zhang Weili had just finished training. She said that only training would make her feel at ease. "If you want to compete well, you have to train well. When you reach the position of UFC champion, everyone is watching you. If you don't change, others will soon find out." Zhang Weili said.

Speaking of the title defense, Zhang Weili’s next opponent has yet to be decided. It was previously reported that Yandiroba, currently ranked third in the strawweight class, and American rookie Ariana Grande may become new challengers. When asked about this topic, Zhang Weili smiled and said that it is possible to hit anyone, "You can continue to pay attention and guess who it will be. It should not be too late. In fact, for me, I can hit anyone."

No. One year into UFC, Zhang Weili played 4 games in one year. According to the original plan, she wanted to play two games this year, but now it seems a bit difficult. Zhang Weili also wants to fight high-ranking opponents, but after winning the gold belt, she must wait for the next challenger. There are many variables and uncontrollable factors in this process.

On October 30, Zhang Weili accepted a video interview. Video screenshot

Over the years, Zhang Weili has defended and lost the gold belt. She admitted that she was under a lot of pressure when she defended her title before and was always worried about losing her gold belt, but not anymore. After the new challenger is determined, Zhang Weili will put the belt aside and put herself in the position of challenger. "The biggest opponent is yourself, not others." Zhang Weili said that if you think about defeating others and being better than others every day, it will be very tiring. "As long as you are a little better than yesterday, life will grow up through constant modifications." ”

In early November, Zhang Weili will go to Thailand for training. She likes the climate there and it is close to the seaside, which is suitable for relaxing. Before every competition, Zhang Weili would practice in Thailand for a period of time. After practicing in Thailand for about three weeks, Zhang Weili will attend the UFC Fight Night in Macau, China as a guest. In 2014, when UFC came to Macau, China for the first time, Zhang Weili was still an amateur player, training while working in the gym.

In the past ten years, Zhang Weili entered the UFC and became the strawweight champion, almost single-handedly changing the development of mixed martial arts in China. Talking about the changes over the years, Zhang Weili said that everyone in this industry is working hard, whether it is athletes, staff, or the media, everyone works together to achieve today’s results. “Now more and more people know If you learn MMA (mixed martial arts) and join MMA, you will definitely get better and better in the future."

In early October, Zhang Weili and her team held a youth mixed martial arts competition. As a result, more than 400 children came, which shocked her. "I didn't expect there would be so many children, and I didn't expect everyone to play so well. Seeing the next generation in such a state makes me feel energetic. "

Zhang Weili maintains a training rhythm of six days a week. Picture/Zhang Weili Weibo

Insights

I cried myself when watching the autobiographical documentary, and I am not afraid to practice more after filming.

This year, Zhang Weili has repeatedly become attached to the big screen. This summer, the documentary about her " Before the premiere of "Never Ended", the team members said that they would definitely shed tears after watching it. Zhang Weili thought to herself that she would not cry because she was recording her own affairs, "What's the point of crying?" "

But not long after the film started, Zhang Weili shed tears, and became choked with sobs later on. She is the only one who knows best how difficult this road has been. "Only part of the documentary was filmed. I have experienced so much, and Many of them were not photographed, which was really not easy. "

The road to mixed martial arts was full of hardships for Zhang Weili. File photo/Xinhua News Agency

The documentary recorded Zhang Weili's life, and Zhang Weili acted out the lives of others on the big screen. After the match with Yan Xiaonan, Zhang Weili returned to China and entered the The crew of the movie "The Next Typhoon" had an unforgettable life for more than a month.

After filming the movie, Zhang Weili found that she was more patient. Previously, if she wanted to rest after training, she would be very unhappy if the coach asked her to practice more. But filming is different. The director always strives for perfection. If the shot doesn’t work well, he will try it again. “So in the future, if the training tells me to play for a while, I will be fine. "Zhang Weili said with a smile.

When it comes to the relationship between training and filming, Zhang Weili said that there are similarities, and you have to fully enter the role. After filming the movie and returning to Beijing, a friend asked Zhang Weili: "Why did your eyes change? ? Are you unhappy and have a lot to say? "At this time, Zhang Weili realized that she was in the drama, and quickly adjusted her state back to training. In the

movie, the character played by Zhang Weili has nothing to do with fighting, which is a great challenge for her. After practicing mixed martial arts for these years, Zhang Weili always walks majestic and high-spirited, but the physical requirements of the characters in the movie have changed a lot. Sometimes the energy of walking comes back after filming. Director Li Yu said with a smile: " Look, Zhang Weili is back. "

Later, Zhang Weili tried to calm herself down and focus on the role. "If I have distracting thoughts, I can't control myself well. "Zhang Weili said that no matter in life or competition, you should not be anxious or impatient. She has experienced ups and downs over the years, and in the end she found that the four words "the heart is like still water" are too important. Zhang Weili said that if you are happy every day and stay happy, look Everything is wonderful; once you have emotions, you won’t like anything you see, and things will naturally go wrong. “Let yourself be happy, be silly and happy. "Zhang Weili said with a smile.

Beijing News chief reporter Sun Haiguang

Editor Wang Chunqiu

Proofreader Yang Li