How much does Zhang Weili bench? Exploring UFC’s first-ever Chinese champion’s astonishing feat of strength

Zhang Weili, the current UFC women’s strawweight champion, has consistently demonstrated impressive strength for her weight class.

In August 2018, ‘Mangum’ entered the promotional scene and secured a unanimous decision victory against Danielle Taylor at UFC 227, further improving her professional MMA record to 17-1.

During her time in the UFC, Weili has achieved a record of 8-2, with victories over Jessica Andrade, Carla Esparza, and Joanna Jedrzejczyk twice. However, her two losses against Rose Namajunas in 2021 remain her biggest setbacks, as she has yet to seek redemption.

Weili utilizes a variety of tools as a UFC women’s strawweight champion, with her world-class striking skills being particularly prominent. Her strength has been a significant advantage both in and out of the Octagon.

In the latter part of 2022, the inaugural Chinese-born UFC champion was practicing at the APEX facility when she came across former heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Weili, who typically weighs 115 pounds for her fights, effortlessly lifted the 293-pound Ngannou onto her shoulder.

Witness Zhang Weili effortlessly lift Francis Ngannou with an incredible demonstration of power in the video below:

Is Zhang Weili a Strong Bench Presser?

Zhang Weili underwent training at Bangtao Muay Thai in Thailand during the month of August in 2023. A well-known gym, they posted a video on YouTube showcasing Weili’s impressive bench press, likely weighing at least 150 pounds including the bar which is typically 45 pounds.

Despite competing at 115 pounds, ‘Magnum’ was able to impressively bench press more than her body weight, potentially having a max closer to 175 as evidenced by her multiple successful reps in the 140-150 pound range.

On April 13, Weili will seek to successfully defend her UFC women’s strawweight title for the second time during her current reign. In order to do so, the Chinese-born champion must overcome her compatriot Yan Xiaonan in the co-main event of the highly-anticipated UFC 300.

Despite experiencing a downturn after consecutive defeats against Carla Esparza and Marina Rodriguez, Xiaonon has managed to recover by defeating Mackenzie Dern and Jessica Andrade. This has led to a significant opportunity for her to potentially overthrow Weili and claim victory.

Observe Zhang’s bench press demonstration at Bangtao in the video below:

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