Daniel Cormier reacts to Zhang Weili’s domination vs Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 co-main event – “I don’t know how anyone bets against this woman.”

Former two-division UFC champion and Hall Of Fame Daniel Cormier was highly impressed with strawweight champion Zhang Weili’s indomitable performance against Tatiana Suarez in the co-main event of UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia. 

Leading up to the UFC 312 co-main event, many couldn’t ponder why a seasoned champion like Zhang Weili was not a favorite against Tatiana Suarez. The prime argument for the fans who picked Suarez to win this fight was that they believed her exceptional grappling skills would take Weili into the deep waters, and keep her there until the end of the fight. However, Zhang Weili proved to be a tough cookie, as she defended her belt in proper style. 

Aside from the first round, Zhang Weili painted a masterclass inside the octagon for the remaining 20 minutes and proved two things – (i) the betters were wrong for not picking her, and (ii) currently she is still the best female fighter in the world. 

Former two-division UFC champion and commentator Daniel Cormier was also confused about why people betted against Zhang Weili. He was highly bedazzled with Weili’s performance, and couldn’t figure out why she was +240 underdog against Tatiana Suarez.

“In the co-main event, Zhang Weili again proves why she is the best! I mean, she dominated Tatiana Suarez. She went into that fight with +240 underdog. I don’t know how anyone could bet against this woman, when what she has put on paper in terms of resume and people she has beaten, and the way she has beaten them. I don’t know how you can make Zhang Weili that big of an underdog based on the fact that she’d not be able to defend takedowns against Tatiana Suarez.” –  DC said on his YouTube channel. 

Cormier recalled when Rose Namajunas was able to takedown Zhang Weili in their fights. DC stated that Namajuans posed a different threat with her striking which Suarez didn’t. So, despite Suarez’s toughness, Zhang Weili’s experience as a champion and going through multiple 05 round fights was enough for her to secure victory. 

“Rose Namajunas took her down a few years ago and held her down. But Rose Namajunas presents a very different striking threat than Tatiana Suarez presents. Rose Namajunas was also a champion that has been in 05 round fights. Tatiana Suarez showed unbelievable toughness, she is as tough as any woman you’ll ever meet walking God’s green earth, but she got dominated.”

“Weili hurt her in the feet, Weili took her down with an inside trip, Weili reversed the position when she got taken down. Guys, outside of the first two and a half minutes of the fight, when Tatiana got the first takedown, the moment she jumped that guillotine, her fate was sealed. Because rest of the time, it was all Zhang Weili all the time!” – DC added. 

Like many of us, DC also believes that Zhang Weili will not stay in the division for long and eventually move up in the flyweight division to face Valentina Shevchenko for the glorious double champ status. If Zhang Weili ascends to flyweight, and somehow gets that second belt, do you think she’ll become the female MMA goat surpassing Amanada Nunes’s legacy?

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