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Women’s Strawweights

Tecia Torres (10-3) vs. Weili Zhang (18-1)

ODDS: Zhang (-130), Torres (+110)

As Invicta Fighting Championships and the UFC started featuring strawweights, Torres was talked about as a future champion, but it looks less and less likely that she is going to get over that hump. Torres has always been a bit of an odd fighter. Despite having a short, muscular frame, she has often fancied herself a flashy range fighter, hence her “Tiny Tornado” nickname, even if she has also proven capable of holding down and controlling opponents. That led her to a ton of success and near-contender status -- and a reputation as a frustrating decision machine -- but as she has found her way to facing the divisional elite, it appears her physical disadvantages are going to hold her back. In 2016, Rose Namajunas handed Torres her first career loss via a narrow decision. Torres had an argument for winning that bout, but Namajunas’ length allowed her to win what was mostly a kickboxing match. Even after Torres rebounded and showed off some career-best form, the best of the best was still too much for her. While Torres was game in both fights, she could not match the physical strength of fellow fireplug Jessica Andrade, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk was another fighter too long for Torres to exchange with inside the cage. Torres still looks to be in the improvement stage, so there is another run or two left in her, but for now, it is a matter of proving she can hang with the best physical specimens at 115 pounds. That makes her an interesting gatekeeper for Zhang.

The UFC signed Zhang in 2018, and depending on your thoughts about Jingliang Li, she might have immediately become the best Chinese fighter on the roster at a time when that now actually means something. Now, she looks poised to take advantage of that status. While her regional fights mostly saw her act as an aggressive wildwoman, her Octagon debut against Danielle Taylor showed a more patient and thoughtful -- but no less effective -- version of Zhang. Then came her last bout against Jessica Aguilar, as Zhang impressed both the Beijing faithful and those watching at home by absolutely wrecking shop on the former World Series of Fighting champion, mashing her into a bloody mess before finishing her with an armbar. Even beyond the marketability aspect of having a Chinese title contender, Zhang has earned this opportunity against Torres with her performances. Time will tell if it is too much, too soon.

This is a hard call, particularly since it is difficult to peg where this version of Zhang stands on the strawweight ladder. Her fight against Taylor is somewhat instructive, as Zhang managed to use kicks to scare off the former King of the Cage champion’s divebombing style but still had difficulty at times tracking down the quicker fighter. Torres can probably exploit that potential weakness, though if Zhang decides to charge forward, a lot of the fight is going to depend on who is stronger in the clinch. Frankly, that remains a question mark. Torres is more proven in that area and looks like the stronger fighter on film, but it would not be surprising at all if Zhang’s aggression and power were too much for her to handle. The pick is Torres via decision.

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