Zhang Weili has set sights on reclaiming her UFC strawweight title in Abu Dhabi later this year after sending Joanna Jedrzejczyk into retirement with an emphatic knockout at UFC 275 in Singapore on Sunday morning.
Zhang, who held the belt between 2019 and 2020, finished her opponent with a brutal spinning back-fist midway through the second round of a fight that was at the time living up to their initial Fight of the Year in 2020.
However, immediately after the bout at a sold-out Singapore Indoor Stadium, Jedrzejczyk took off her gloves inside the octagon and informed UFC analyst Daniel Cormier during the interview that she would be retiring.
"It's been 20 years," said Jedrzejczyk, who held the women’s strawweight title from 2015 to 2017, defending successfully a record five times. "I'm turning 35 this year. I want to be a mum. I want to be a businesswoman. I've been training more than half of my life. I love you guys."
Jedrzejczyk, the UFC’s first Poland-born champion, leaves the sport with a professional MMA record of 16-5.
Meanwhile, Zhang has quickly turned attention to reigning supreme at 115 lbs once more. The Chinese star, who had lost her past two bouts having built a stellar 21-fight win streak, is the division’s No 2-ranked contender, with only former champion Rose Namajunas and current belt-holder Carla Esparza above her in the standings.
Speaking to Cormier through an interpreter inside the octagon, Zhang said: “Carla Esparza, I heard there’s an event in Abu Dhabi, and I want to invite you to fight me in Abu Dhabi. It’s not your territory, it’s not my territory. Let’s be in Abu Dhabi and fight together.”
The world’s lead mixed martial arts promotion returns to the capital on October 22 with UFC 281. Until now, there have been no bouts confirmed for Etihad Arena.
In UFC 275's two championship bouts, Valentina Schevchenko retained her flyweight title with a split-decision victory against Taila Santos, while Jiri Prochazka defeated light-heavyweight champion Glover Teixeira by fifth-round submission in a Fight of the Year contender.
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Sub Regional Qualifier
Event info: The tournament in Kuwait this month is the first phase of the qualifying process for sides from Asia for the 2020 World T20 in Australia. The UAE must finish within the top three teams out of the six at the competition to advance to the Asia regional finals. Success at regional finals would mean progression to the World T20 Qualifier.
UAE’s fixtures: Fri Apr 20, UAE v Qatar; Sat Apr 21, UAE v Saudi Arabia; Mon Apr 23, UAE v Bahrain; Tue Apr 24, UAE v Maldives; Thu Apr 26, UAE v Kuwait
World T20 2020 Qualifying process:
- Sixteen teams will play at the World T20 in two years’ time.
- Australia have already qualified as hosts
- Nine places are available to the top nine ranked sides in the ICC’s T20i standings, not including Australia, on Dec 31, 2018.
- The final six teams will be decided by a 14-team World T20 Qualifier.
World T20 standings: 1 Pakistan; 2 Australia; 3 India; 4 New Zealand; 5 England; 6 South Africa; 7 West Indies; 8 Sri Lanka; 9 Afghanistan; 10 Bangladesh; 11 Scotland; 12 Zimbabwe; 13 UAE; 14 Netherlands; 15 Hong Kong; 16 Papua New Guinea; 17 Oman; 18 Ireland
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
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