sport news Weili Zhang RETAINS her women's strawweight title via unanimous decision in ... trends now Weili Zhang defeated Yan Xianan By Adrian Bishop Published: 06:07 BST, 14 April 2024 | Updated: 06:08 BST, 14 April 2024 Viewcomments Advertisement Zhang Weili dominated Yan Xiaonan to retain her women's strawweight title at UFC 300. Saturday's co-main event marked the first time two Chinese fighters had competed for a UFC title and the pair produced a showdown packed with drama at the T-Mobile Arena. Just minutes after Max Holloway's last-second KO of Justin Gaethje, Zhang looked to have secured a buzzer-beater of her own as she cinched in a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of round one. Yan appeared close to submitting but held firm and was rescued by the end of the round, though there was some confusion as to whether the challenger had actually been briefly rendered unconscious. After recovering between rounds Yan immediately found herself forced onto the back foot in the second. Referee Jason Herzog looked primed to intervene after Zhang secured a dominant position and began raining down strikes but Yan was able to eventually reverse the position and again survive until the end of the round. Having twice came within seconds of finishing the fight Zhang appeared severely fatigued in the third, allowing the pendulum to swing back in her opponent's favour. Zhang reassured her control of the third in the penultimate round however, again taking the challenger's back and looking to secure a submission but was denied once more. Share or comment on this article: Weili Zhang RETAINS her women's strawweight title via unanimous decision in history-making clash with Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility