Zhang (23-3, fighting out of Beijing, China) has her sights set on making her second reign as champion a dominant one. The first Chinese titleholder in UFC history, she cemented herself as the best in the world with victories over former champions Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Carla Esparza and Jessica Andrade. Zhang now seeks to start her 2023 campaign with another bonus-winning finish.
Brazilian knockout artist Lemos (13-2-1, fighting out of Para, Brazil) strives to shock the world in the biggest opportunity of her MMA career. A member of the UFC roster since 2017, she owns wins over Marina Rodriguez, Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Angela Hill. Lemos now looks to add her name to the historic list of Brazilian champions with her third finish in a row.
Other bouts on the card include:
- No. 8 ranked UFC welterweight contender Geoff Neal (15-5, fighting out of Dallas, Texas) strives to derail the momentum of undefeated No. 13 Ian Machado Garry (12-0, fighting out of Dublin, Ireland)
- Former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt (13-5, fighting out of Uhrichsville, Ohio) returns against Mario Bautista (12-2, fighting out of Phoenix, Ariz.)
- Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman (15-6, fighting out of Fort Mill, S.C. by way of Baldwin, N.Y.) begins his long-awaited comeback against fellow veteran Brad Tavares (19-9, fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev.)
- Middleweight grapplers collide as Andre Petroski (9-2, fighting out of Philadelphia, Pa.) faces Gerald Meerschaert (35-16, fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisc.)
- An intriguing women’s flyweight bout sees No. 13 ranked Andrea Lee (13-7, fighting out of Shreveport, La.) battle Natalia Silva (15-5-1, fighting out of Pingo D’Agua, Minas Gerais, Brazil)
- Gregory Rodrigues (13-5, fighting out of Deerfield Beach, Fla. by way of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) meets Denis Tiuliulin (11-7, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) at middleweight
- Women’s flyweight standout Karine Silva (16-4, fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil) looks to deliver another impressive performance in a matchup with Maryna Moroz (11-4, fighting out of Volnogorsk, Ukraine)
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For the latest information on additional bouts for this event, please visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.
