Opinion: UFC Fight Night 157 Involves High-Stakes Business
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The next No. 1 contender for the Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s strawweight title was seemingly determined when Tatiana Suarez took a unanimous decision from Nina Ansaroff at UFC 238 in June. Suarez improved to 8-0 overall with five wins under the UFC banner, so few could dispute her claim as the next challenger for the 115-pound crown. However, a neck injury suffered prior to her encounter with Ansaroff muddied the waters.
When UFC President Dana White was asked if the doubt surrounding
Suarez might open the door for someone like Michelle
Waterson, he offered a terse response: “Definitely not.”
According to White, “The Karate Hottie” was ranked too low at No. 7
to warrant a shot at newly crowned champion Jessica
Andrade.
Apparently, No. 6 six in the UFC rankings works just fine, as shortly after UFC 238, it was announced that Weili Zhang was to challenge Andrade for the strawweight title in the UFC Fight Night 157 main event on Aug. 31 in Shenzhen, China. On a 19-fight winning streak that includes a 3-0 mark in the UFC, Zhang authored the most significant win of her career when she defeated Tecia Torres at UFC 235 in March. While White admitted that the timing of Zhang’s title shot was fortuitous, he indicated that it mostly came together as a result of other fighters ahead of “Magnum” in the rankings being unable to compete on the card.
Whether or not you believe White’s reasoning, there’s no denying that UFC Fight Night 157 has major implications when it comes to the promotion’s business strategy. The world’s largest MMA organization has expanded its footprint in the region since it was sold to Endeavor, holding events in China for the past three years and building a $13 million UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai that opened in June. China has a population of around 1.4 billion people, deep roots in martial arts and a government that supports top MMA fighters, so the UFC has no illusions about the importance of the market in terms of the company’s growth.
“We continue to add new cities in China to our global calendar of events, and we are excited to see the momentum that is steadily building,” UFC Senior Vice President Asia-Pacific Kevin Chang told Forbes. “China is the most important growth market for UFC, and our ongoing success is a testament to the loyalty of our passionate fans, the ongoing support from our partners and the work we are doing to fast-track the development of UFC-ready athletes in this region.”
Given the importance of the Chinese market, it’s easy to guess who the promotion might be rooting for at UFC Fight Night 157. If Zhang were to emerge victorious, she would be the first Chinese champion in UFC history and would no doubt have her efforts lauded by the government and media in her home country. Even if the 30-year-old were to lose the title in her next fight, the potential new audience she would bring into her first title defense could greatly strengthen the UFC’s position in China, especially if “Magnum” managed to galvanize fans the way Conor McGregor or George St. Pierre did. However, that’s easier said than done.
A win for Zhang could also give the UFC some political shielding. The United States and China are currently involved in a trade war that could get worse before it gets better, and as tariffs and embargos against particular products and services begin to take hold, a native champion would probably guarantee the UFC a reprieve from any collateral damage that may arise from disagreements between the Chinese government and President Trump, one of White’s longtime allies. After all, the last thing the promotion wants is political intervention as it continues its aggressive expansion into China, especially with rival promotions like One Championship looking to expand, as well.
Accounting for all of the factors at play, it makes sense why the UFC would book this matchup. Andrade has proven to have trouble with tricky strikers -- as shown against Joanna Jedrzejczyk and in the majority of her fight with Rose Namajunas -- so Zhang may well have the tools to overthrow the Brazilian. UFC Fight Night 157 also benefits the Chinese government, giving the region an event that can serve as a distraction from the current unrest in Hong Kong. Waterson’s three-fight winning streak over three ranked opponents may give her a stronger argument for a title shot based on merit, but when it comes to the UFC, business always comes first, and Zhang-Andrade is what’s best for business.
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