Zhang becomes first Chinese UFC champion

For as long as it lasted, the main event of UFC Fight Night in Shenzhen, China was a frenetic, back and forth striking battle between champion Jessica Andrade and Weili Zhang, the first Chinese fighter to compete for a UFC title.

Unfortunately for Andrade, it did not last long.

It took Zhang just 42 seconds to dispatch of the champion, the second fastest finish in UFC women’s strawweight history as she became the promotion’s first-ever Chinese champion.

The importance of this turn of events cannot be overstated. After finally making inroads into mainland China nearly two years ago, opening a UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai this year and the inception of the AirAsia UFC training scholarship, this result could not have happened at a better time from a business standpoint.

With the win, Zhang improved to 4-0 in the UFC and extended her win streak to 20, 17 of which have ended inside the distance.

Zhang becomes the fifth champion in the history of the division.

Attendance and Bonuses

UFC Fight Night at the Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre drew 10,302 attendees for an undisclosed gate.

The Fight of the Night bonus went to Alateng Heili and Dana Batgerel and Performance of the Night bonuses went to Zhang and co-main event winner Li Jingliang, who handed Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos his first ever TKO loss.

All four fighters earned an additional $50,000 (USD)

Canadians strike out on Contender Series

Three Canadians competed on this season of the Dana White Contender Series and despite their best efforts, none were able to secure a win or a UFC contract.

The first Canadian to ever compete on the Contender Series was Aaron Jeffery, who was paired with one of the most accomplished fighters this season when he met LFA middleweight champion Brandon Allen.

LFA is one of the highest level regional promotions in North America and typically their champions get signed to UFC contracts.

Allen, a heavy favourite in the fight, was able to secure a first-round submission over the Canadian.

In the final episode of the season, heavyweight Dustin Joynson did not get the opportunity to prove his worth after suffering an unintentional eye gouge in the first round, inevitably ending his bout with a no contest result.

The main event of the final episode featured Teddy Ash, whose opponent, Dusko Todorovic, implemented a conservative game plan that earned him a unanimous decision victory.

Despite the loss, Ash showed a lot of heart and pressed forward whenever the opportunity presented itself.

As a result, there is still yet to be a Canadian contestant on the Contender Series to earn a victory.

Till moving up to middleweight

Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till’s days fighting at 170 pounds appear to be behind him, at least for now.

Till will move up to the middleweight division to face Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 244 on November 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York, according to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, which has since been confirmed by the promotion.

Gastelum is coming off of a loss to Israel Adesanya in a bout to determine the interim middleweight champion, while Till has suffered back-to-back losses to Tyron Woodley and Jorge Masvidal.

Till has been known to cut a lot of weight to make the welterweight cutoff and will get the opportunity to face a top contender at a weight class that many feel is more suitable to his large frame.

While the former Ultimate Fighter winner Gastelum’s record at middleweight is 4-2-1, he has defeated some of the top competition in the division.

Johnson planning return

Former two-time light heavyweight title challenger Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is on the verge of returning to the UFC, according to Okamoto.

Johnson suddenly retired in the cage following his second title shot against Cormier after falling short on both occasions.

Now Johnson is looking to return at heavyweight next March after completing a mandatory six month USADA (United States Anti-doping Agency) testing requirement upon coming out of retirement.

Johnson went 6-2 at light heavyweight in his second stint with the UFC.