The Ultimate Fighting Championship came to Shenzhen Universiade Sports Centre in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China tonight for UFC Fight Night 157: “Andrade vs Zhang.” The event featured a UFC women’s strawweight title bout between Jéssica “Bate Estaca” Andrade and Weili “Magnum” Zhang.
In the welterweight co-main event, Jingliang “The Leech” Li battled Elizeu “Capoeira” Zaleski dos Santos. Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France faced Mark “Bumblebee” De La Rosa in other featured action on the main card. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for UFC Fight Night 157 tonight.
UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship
Weili “Magnum” Zhang vs Jéssica “Bate Estaca” Andrade
Round 1:
Zhang opened the fight with leg kicks and she avoided Andrade’s left hooks. Zhang rocked Andrade with a right hook and she followed with a series of knees and elbows in the clinch as Andrade held on. More knees landed for Zhang and a dazed Andrade backpedalled before falling against the base of the cage. Zhang landed a final salvo of punches and the fight was waved off, giving China its first UFC champion.
Winner: Weili Zhang by TKO (Knees & Punches) at 0:42 of round one. She improves to 20-1-0 and becomes the new UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion.
Jingliang “The Leech” Li vs Elizeu “Capoeira” Zaleski dos Santos
Round 1:
Both men landed leg kicks in the opening two minutes and Li scored a brief takedown after catching a kick from Zaleski dos Santos. Back on the feet, Zaleski dos Santos landed a kick-punch combo and Li responded with a right cross. Zaleski dos Santos threw two head kicks that missed but he landed a solid body kick soon after. Li wobbled Zaleski dos Santos with a lunging three-punch combination, but Zaleski dos Santos recovered quickly and circled away. Li punched his way free of a clinch in the final minute and he floored Zaleski dos Santos with a right hand shortly before the bell. 10-9 Li. Could be a 10-8.
Round 2:
Li rocked Zaleski dos Santos again with a one-two early in the second round. He followed with a leg kick and Zaleski dos Santos fired back with a winging right hook. Leg and body kicks landed for Zaleski dos Santos, who missed with a spinning hook kick. Li landed a jab and he avoided a haymaker right hook from Zaleski dos Santos. Li landed a three-punch flurry and he followed with counter hooks as Zaleski dos Santos closed the distance. Zaleski dos Santos landed a hard knee to the liver and missed with another hook kick. Both men teed off with punches before the bell. Close second round. 10-9 Li by a slim margin.
Round 3:
Zaleski dos Santos opened the final round with a series of kicks and he narrowly missed with a head kick. Li avoided a takedown attempt and he ducked under a flurry of looping punches from Zaleski dos Santos. Li stayed on the outside and he eventually connected with a hard right hand. Li caught a kick and dumped Zaleski dos Santos to the mat. He landed punches on the way up and knocked Zaleski dos Santos off-balance with a flurry seconds later. The fight returned to the feet again and Li avoided Zaleski dos Santos’s kicks and lunging punches. With 20 seconds to go, Li hurt Zaleski dos Santos with a counter uppercut. He swarmed on him with more punches as a dazed Zaleski dos Santos got back to his feet. Li dropped him again with a flurry against the cage and the fight was waved off.
Winner: Jingliang Li by TKO (Punches) at 4:51 of round three. He improves to 17-5-0.
Kai “Don’t Blink” Kara-France vs Mark “Bumblebee” De La Rosa
Round 1:
The fighters circled early on and traded occasional punches until an exchange of big shots 75 seconds into the fight. De La Rosa clinched and took Kara-France’s back while working to drag him down to the mat. Kara-France spun free and slammed De La Rosa down, then landed a series of hammerfists before De La Rosa returned to his feet. Kara-France ducked under a head kick, but De La Rosa connected with a four-punch flurry. He followed with an overhand right and blocked a head kick. Kara-France landed leg kicks and reversed a takedown late in the close opening round. 10-9 Kara-France.
Round 2:
Kara-France looked to landed combinations early in the second round and he just missed with a head kick. Seconds later, Kara-France floored De La Rosa with a huge right hand. De La Rosa recovered quickly and got back to his feet, where he landed a solid combination. Kara-France tripped him with a leg kick and landed more after De La Rosa rose to his feet. De La Rosa blocked a head kick, but Kara-France landed hard leg kicks in the ensuing minute. More kicks landed for Kara-France to De La Rosa’s lead leg and body. Kara-France landed a flurry and a leg kick, which was answered by a lunging right hand from De La Rosa. Both men landed hard right hooks and De La Rosa threw a head kick. 10-9 Kara-France.
Round 3:
Kara-France struck first with a leg kick that wobbled De La Rosa in the final round, but De La Rosa answered back with a combination. Both men landed hard right hands soon after and De La Rosa flurried with punches. Kara-France hurt him with a liver kick and followed with punches to the head and body as De La Rosa retreated to the cage. De La Rosa recovered, but Kara-France landed another body kick and a right hand before De La Rosa scored with a counter combination. Kara-France mixed up his kicks to the lead leg and body of De La Rosa. Little transpired in the final minute until Kara-France landed kicks with ten seconds to go and De La Rosa replied with right hands. Close round and fight. 10-9 Kara-France.
Winner: Kai Kara-France by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 20-7-0, 1 NC.
Kenan “The Assassin” Song vs Derrick “D-Rock” Krantz
Round 1:
After a cutious opening minute, Song landed a spinning back kick and Krantz answered back with a hard leg kick. Song landed a kick to the body soon after and Krantz clinched with him against the cage. The fighters separated and Krantz threw looping hooks in close. He threw more overhand punches as the round entered its final minute. Song responded with kicks, but Krantz landed a heavy flurry. Song fired back with a head kick late in the round. 10-9 Krantz, barely.
Round 2:
Kranzt landed a grazing uppercut early in round two and he avoided a spinning back kick from Song. Krantz picked Song up and slammed him down into side control as Song attempted a weak guillotine choke. Song fought his way back to half-guard and Krantz tried to pass to mount in a scramble. Song swept and took Krantz’s back, but Krantz shook him off and he took Song down for a second time. Song stood and Krantz locked on a tight standing guillotine choke. Song stayed calm and managed to escape, and he tried for a triangle choke from his back after Krantz took him back down. Krantz avoided danger and nearly made it to mount before the bell. 10-9 Krantz.
Round 3:
The final round began with an exchange of punches and Song stunned Krantz with a head kick and a big flurry. Krantz countered with a takedown against the cage, but Song battled back to his feet and Krantz began to bleed heavily from a cut below his left eyebrow. Song hurt him again with more punches and a flying knee. Krantz dropped levels for a takedown and he eventually got Song down. Krantz looked to move from side control to mount, but Song scrambled free and stood up. Both fighters were noticeably fatigued and Song missed with wild punches. He landed a one-two in the final minute and followed with a front kick. The exhausted fighters traded sloppy punches until the bell. 10-9 Song.
Winner: Kenan Song by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 15-5-0.
Mizuki Inoue vs Yanan “Mulan” Wu
Round 1:
Inoue struck first with a right hand and she landed a second one after a brief clinch. Inoue continued to throw quick punches as Wu seemed content to circle on the outside. Wu finally landed a right hand and a leg kick, but her offensive output remained limited. The fighters exchanged punches in close and Wu landed a knee to the body. Inoue punched over the top and followed with two knees. She landed quick one-twos late in the round and avoided Wu’s counters. 10-9 Inoue.
Round 2:
The second round began with Inoue landing right hands until Wu countered with a combination and a standing guillotine choke attempt. Inoue escaped and tried for a takedown, but Wu defended with an elbow. Inoue flurried with punches and she followed with short elbows over the top as the fighters briefly clinched. Inoue continued to use her jab to set up right hands as Wu came up short with her counters. Inoue punched her way into a clinch in the final minute of the round and Wu pushed her away. The round ended with an exchange of punches. 10-9 Inoue.
Round 3:
Inoue landed a jab-cross combo in the final round and ducked under Wu’s counterpunches. Wu shot in for a takedown and Inoue stuffed it. The fighters battled in a clinch and Inoue backed Wu up against the cage with short punches. Wu broke free and landed a one-two that was answered by one from Inoue. Seconds later, Inoue landed her best combination of the fight and Wu switched tactics with leg and body kicks. Wu landed a hard right hand that set off an exchange of punches late in the close fight. 10-9 Inoue.
Winner: Mizuki Inoue by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 14-5-0.
(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)