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When it came to the fifth and final round, UFC commentators Joe Rogan and Daniel "DC" Cormier had no idea what would happen next. Rogan said that challenger Joanna Jedrzejczyk had a higher volume but champ Zhang Weili had done more damage and was trying to weigh it up, DC said he'd been watching the fight, and was trying to judge it but couldn't decide if it was 3-1 or 2-2 or 1-3 with less than five minutes left in the fight.
Between them, these two men have seen thousands of bouts and, with moments left, they couldn't figure out who was leading - but once the final bell rang, they were unequivocal. This was the best fight in women's mixed martial arts (MMA) history. That's how high the quality is of both competitors, and it was reflected in the final decision too: Zhang defeated Jedrzejczyk 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 - with none of the judges having the same final tally - to retain the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship by split decision.
(L-R) Joanna Jedrzejczyk apologizes after landing a late punch after the round against Zhang Weili in their UFC strawweight championship fight at UFC 248 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 7, 2020. /VCG
The tone was set from the very start as China's Zhang and Poland's Jedrejczyk met in the middle of the Octagon and began trading blows. There was no bullrush from Zhang this time as she knew how technical and tough her challenger would be, and likewise, Jedrzejczyk saw what happened to Jessica Andrade at UFC Shenzhen last August and wanted to keep her opponent at a distance. During the weigh-ins, both women got heated and accused each other of crossing the line in their pre-event trash talk; once they were face-to-face, it was all respect.
For five rounds, Zhang and Jedrzejczyk put on a striking masterclass. There were brief moments where clinches were made and takedowns were fought for, but this was primarily a striking battle between a muay thai and a sanda expert. There was a perpetual ebb and flow as Jedrzejczyk's high volume output would give way to Zhang's heavy hands and Zhang's powerful striking burning her energy towards the later rounds in the face of Jedrzejczyk's seemingly infinite cardio.
Zhang Weili celebrates after her split-decision victory over Joanna Jedrzejczyk in their UFC strawweight championship fight at UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 7, 2020. /VCG
Ultimately it was a fight of small margins and it's difficult to say what exactly gave Zhang the upper hand on the judges scorecards, but it's likely that Joanna failed what came to nicknamed the Diaz method of scoring; with a huge hematoma swelling on her forehead, he simply looked more worse for wear than Zhang. That being said it's impossible to complain about the result, especially when a rematch is already on the horizon.
(R-L) Neil Magny of the U.S. takes down Li Jingliang in their welterweight fight at the UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada March 07, 2020. /VCG
Elsewhere, China's Li Jingliang lost a unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29,27) to America's Neil Magny in the men's welterweight division. Magny, at 190cm tall and with a reach of 203cm, was just too rangy for Li. Throughout the fight, Magny maintained distance with the jab and once he figured out Li's bob-and-weave style of head movement, followed up with combinations - including several fancy flying knees - and then applied pressure on the ground. It wasn't all one way, as Li has developed a reputation as a hard hitter and landed a few in the first round, but Magny clearly learned his lesson as from there modified his game to minimize direct engagement.
Neil Magny reacts after his victory over Li Jingliang in their welterweight fight at the UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada March 07, 2020. /VCG
(Cover: China's Zhang Weili punches Poland's Joanna Jedrzejczyk in their UFC strawweight championship fight during the UFC 248 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 7, 2020. /VCG)
