Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

China's mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete Zhang Weili put on a nearly flawless performance during the UFC 292 co-main event in Boston on Saturday, marking her fourth strawweight title fight win.

"My name is Zhang Weili. I am from China. Do you remember me?" Zhang said during an interview with the UFC after the win. 

"I am training every day. Hard training leads to an easy fight," she noted.

At a news conference held ahead of the match on Thursday, Zhang praised her opponent Amanda Lemos. 

"Lemos is very good. She's super strong and precise," Zhang said.

Quoting Bruce Lee, Zhang added, "But I will be like water," indicating her confidence in defending her title.

Lemos, a first-time title challenger from Brazil, countered by saying, "On Saturday, I will drink that water, every drop of it."

Zhang landed a total of 296 strikes while Lemos had only 29 strikes, setting a record for most strikes landed in a fight by a UFC female fighter. Zhang took Lemos on for five rounds en route to a one-sided unanimous-decision win and successful defense of her title.

"There is no question about the pound-for-pound best female fighter in the world," Forbes wrote shortly after Zhang's victory. 

"It's reigning UFC Women's Featherweight Champion Zhang Weili."

On MIGU Video, an online broadcaster that requires a paid subscription, the livestream of the match attracted over 158,000 viewers. Many commented that they paid for a subscription just to watch the match between Zhang and Lemos. 

Zhang, who has over 2 million followers on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo, posted videos in which she is seen with a Five-Star Red Flag - China's national flag - and the UFC belt. 

"The belt has returned to China. Thank you all for your support!" 

"No matter where I go, I will be Weili from China. My home country will always be my rock."

The hashtag related to Zhang's victory began trending on Sina Weibo, with more than 58 million views by Sunday.

Videos might showing the fierce Zhang-Lemos competition went viral across various social media platforms in China. On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, one video garnered more than 769,000 likes within hours after the match.

While fans cheer Zhang's stellar performance, the 36-year-old Brazilian warrior Lemos also won acclaim from Chinese netizens.

"Weili is strong, and she keeps growing. But we should pay homage to Lemos as well. Despite the ultra tough battering from Weili, Lemos still remains strong and didn't ever think about giving up. She has a heart aspiring to be a champion. She is a strong opponent that earned herself respect," reads one comment. 

Another top-liked comment wrote, "What we are witnessing right here, right now, is the true power of women."       

In one video posted on Sina Weibo after her victory, Zhang extended her gratitude to her supporters, and stressed her hope that more and more people in China will join in MMA, and that the sport can further advance and bloom in China.    

On Dazhong Dianping, a widely used crowd-sourced review platform for local businesses in China, when searching for MMA in Beijing, more than 1,200 results appear, including venues solely dedicated to MMA and those that also offer kickboxing and Muay Thai courses. From annual packages to one-time experiences, group classes to private lessons, there are various choices. 

Among the reviews, some were left by parents, "MMA exercises the body as well as the mind. My children learn stamina, confidence, cooperation and independence." 

"I first got to know MMA through watching several matches by Zhang Weili. I really enjoyed the experience after my first try. Not only did I get a truly good workout from the class, I also got to hang out with my classmates after training, chatting over beer. It's a great way to meet like-minded people," reads another recent review.