Zhang Weili is still the best fighter at 115 pounds after demolishing Amanda Lemos.
Zhang defeated Lemos via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 49-45) to retain the UFC strawweight title in the UFC 292 co-main event Saturday night in Boston.
Lemos somehow survived a beatdown for the ages, with Zhang outlanding her 163-24 in significant strikes. Zhang suffocated the Brazilian challenger with grappling throughout the fight, finishing six of seven takedown attempts. Zhang battered Lemos with ground-and-pound shots and dropped her in the fifth round.
With the victory, Zhang recorded the first title defense of her second championship reign, and her second successful title defense overall. The Chinese fighter recaptured the strawweight belt with a submission win over Carla Esparza last November.
Lemos was ranked No. 5 heading into her first UFC title shot. She earned back-to-back wins over Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez in 2022 to set up the fight with Zhang.
