Weili Zhang has revealed Joanna Jedrzejczyk ‘kept crying for hours’ in the hospital, following their epic encounter at UFC 248 in Las Vegas.
The strawweight pair fought to an all-time classic in the co-main event of the said fight card, with the Chinese fighter narrowly defeating the former champ after five rounds of intense war.
Both fighters sustained major bruises in the instant classic after landing a combined 800 punches, but it was Jedrzejczyk who sported the more brutal damage.
The Polish challenger suffered a huge hematoma in her forehead after Zhang landed a vicious right hand late in the second round.
The two were immediately rushed to the hospital, following their co-main event bout, but were discharged on Sunday morning with no significant injuries as per report from ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.
Surprisingly, Zhang and Jedrzejczyk received a two-month minimal mandatory timeouts based on the UFC 248 medical suspensions report released by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
Feeling Very Sad
In a video uploaded to her YouTube channel, Zhang has shared a story of emotional moment with Jedrzejczyk when they were in the hospital, saying the challenger has truly displayed the heart of a warrior even outside the Octagon.
“After the match, Joanna and I, we both met at the hospital. We arrived at the hospital almost at the same time. There was just a curtain between us,” Zhang said (per Bloody Elbow).
“She kept crying for hours. I feel very sad. I especially wanted to comfort her. But the language barrier, I can only tell her, “Good job! You did very well. You are very good.” Then she kept crying, covering her head.”
“And I feel very sad, to be honest. Although she was disrespectful to me before. But I saw her injury while crying. I felt bad for her.”
“Then I talked to her. Then when she left — I am waiting for the examination — when she left, she told me this and I was particularly moved, she said: ‘Keep defending and I will watch you’ she said, ‘Keep defending and I will watch you. It will get harder and harder.’ I almost shed tears. At that time, I felt the warrior should be like this.”
Best In The World
Meanwhile, Jedrzejczyk is keeping her head high despite the split decision loss as she believes she’s done her job at UFC 248, which is to showcase that she is one of the best female fighters in the world.
“Right now, I just want to go home and relax,” she told MMA Fighting.
“I don’t want to think about my next move, my next fight. I don’t want to think about the future yet.”
“I need the time off to be myself but I’m fine. I’m strong. I keep my head up.”
“Of course the expectations are very high but like I said, it’s not just about having the belt physically. I’m very proud of myself. My job is to be one of the best athletes and I am one of the best in the world.”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Weili Zhang)