And when you break it down, it makes a great deal of sense because just as an ice cream sundae can be outstanding without that radioactive red Maraschino morsel perched atop the whipped cream peak, a fighter can have a successful career even if they never claim championship gold.
Granted, Zhang has already tasted that sickly sweet bite once before, so reframing her thoughts on the importance of the title may be easier than for someone that has yet to achieve that feat, but that doesn’t make her current position on the matter any less genuine.
“The UFC champions in every division are constantly updated,” she said. “Wins, losses and titles are ephemeral; it’s all changing all the time. The main thing is to show my ability, show my skills in every fight.
UFC EMBEDDED: Episode 1 | Episode 2
“Winning or the champion’s title is the biggest reward for every athlete, and it is the recognition of the athlete’s hard work,” continued this weekend’s strawweight title challenger. “We put in countless hard work for it, and that’s what all the athletes want, but, most importantly, every experience is a part of life, and you should be fearless and do what you must do.”
Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, Zhang will look to become the third woman to hold the strawweight title twice when she takes on Esparza.
