Ignoring the various murmurs and excitement in the arena, the clock soon struck eight, and the first fight began.
Although it was the women’s division, and neither fighter was Chinese, the fierce clashes and punch-for-punch exchanges still had the crowd roaring with excitement.
Zhao Xiaodao, Li Ying, and Huang Xiumin watched with nervous intensity, but Lu Zheng and Lin Wan were far more relaxed. The pair were even chatting quietly.
“Who do you think will win?” Lin Wan asked.
“No question. The one in black,” Lu Zheng replied. “Her tactics are clear, and her ground game is superior. The moment the red one slips and fails to sprawl, it’s over.”
Lin Wan nodded. That matched her own assessment. The dynamics were obvious.
Sure enough, early in the third round, the fighter in red tired, her takedown defence faltered, and the one in black dragged her down, locking in an armbar for the submission.
Clap, clap, clap.
Roars erupted.
The bout ended amid thunderous applause, followed by a short break.
…
An hour and a half later, the main event arrived.
Zhang Weili versus Carla.
Carla entered first, dressed in black, the flag of the Lighthouse Country draped over her shoulders.
Zhang Weili came last, the bright red flag of China over hers.
Ding.
The bell rang. The fight began.
No ceremonies, no trash talk. They went straight to war.
From the opening, Zhang Weili displayed the presence of a defending champion, advancing slowly, pressing Carla back.
Carla refused to engage head-on. She circled, retreated, probed with jabs.
Zhang Weili stayed patient. Her raw attributes outclassed Carla’s, but she would not overcommit. Avoid mistakes, and the belt stayed hers.
Bang, bang, bang.
They traded in the pocket. Zhang Weili’s reactions, speed, and power had all taken another step forward. Even on the feet, Carla could not gain ground.
“Damn it!” Carla ate a swinging hook, stumbled back, fired a desperate straight punch to create space, then shook her head to clear it. “How are her punches that heavy now?”
Zhang Weili allowed herself a faint smile. She did not chase recklessly, wary of traps. Steady pressure was enough.
Looking flashy mattered less than winning.
Zhang fought cautiously, but the commentators were electric.
“Beautiful!”
“Zhang Weili feints, lands a huge overhand right to the face. Carla backs up, throws a panicked straight, oh, it forces Zhang back momentarily.”
“Shame. Carla was hurt there. If Zhang had poured it on, she might have finished it.”
“We’re seeing a very composed performance from Zhang Weili tonight. No rush, no panic. Exactly right. She holds every technical advantage. Even if it goes to the scorecards, she wins comfortably. No need to gamble on a finish.”
“Carla shoots for a takedown!”
“Zhang stuffs it beautifully, suppresses her, lands several hard shots. Excellent!”
“Carla scrambles up. Look at her face, already swelling. She’s breathing heavily. Zhang’s punches are devastating!”
Ding.
“End of the first round!”
“Clearly Zhang Weili dominated that round!”
Thunderous applause and cheers filled the arena.
Almost the entire crowd was Chinese, naturally backing Zhang Weili. A handful of scattered American fans, in Haicheng for work or travel, tried to cheer their compatriot, but their voices vanished in the tide.
One minute later, the second round began.
Five minutes after that, it ended.
“Carla’s fading,” Lin Wan observed calmly.
“Expected,” Lu Zheng replied. “Zhang’s pressure is relentless.”
A single ordinary body-tempering pill had mainly healed old wear and improved constitution, raising Zhang Weili perhaps five percent above her previous peak.
Yet that margin was crushing. Combined with her disciplined, safety-first approach, Carla’s desperate risks all failed, draining her tank further.
Had Zhang pushed harder, the fight might have ended in the first round.
Ding.
The third round had barely started when Carla, briefly recovered, lunged desperately for a double-leg.
Bang.
Zhang Weili, the veteran, never dropped her guard. She stepped back, lowered her hips, and the two locked in a brief wrestle.
“Ah!”
Sensing the drop in Carla’s strength, Zhang roared, flipped her over, spun to the back.
“It’s over!” the commentator declared, shaking his head. “Zhang has the rear naked choke sunk. Carla, running on fumes, has no escape.”
Exactly as predicted. The choke tightened. Carla’s breathing became laboured. She struggled once, felt the grip only grow stronger, then tapped lightly on Zhang’s arm.
“She’s done!”
“Zhang Weili wins! Successful title defence! Congratulations, Weili submits her opponent in the third round!”
“Magnificent!”
“What a contest. Carla showed true challenger spirit, but stamina betrayed her in the end. Her determination deserves respect!”
“The host is in the octagon, raising Zhang Weili’s hand. Another successful defence. Let’s hear from the champion.”
“After another successful defence, what would you like to say?” the host asked.
Zhang Weili paused, glanced toward Lin Wan in the front row.
Lin Wan’s eyes widened. She waved her hands frantically: no.
Zhang Weili laughed. “I felt both pressure and motivation tonight, so I fought cautiously. Luckily I won. I’m very happy.”
To ordinary listeners, pressure meant fear of losing, motivation meant desire to win.
But Lu Zheng and the others knew the truth. The pressure was Lin Wan watching from ringside. The motivation was also Lin Wan watching from ringside.
The interview was brief. Zhang thanked the crowd and her fans, then headed backstage.
Twenty minutes later, the group reunited with her there.
“Quick, quick, group photo! I need to borrow some of this heat!” Zhao Xiaodao shouted.
She and Zhang Weili posed on either side, each holding one end of the gold belt. Then everyone else piled in for more pictures.
Next, naturally, came social media.
Lu Zheng and the others posted to their Moments. As celebrities, Zhang Weili and Zhao Xiaodao posted to Weibo.
Almost instantly, “Zhang Weili successful title defence” shot to the top of trending searches.
Second place: photos of Zhang Weili and Zhao Xiaodao as best friends.
Third: when exactly did Zhang Weili and Zhao Xiaodao become such close friends?
The pair lifted each other. Zhao Xiaodao gained a surge of attention. Zhang Weili’s victory burned even brighter because of Zhao Xiaodao.
