Zhang Weili moderately favored over Rose Namajunas at UFC 261

UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili is the betting favorite heading into her second title defense.

Weili takes on former 115-pound champ Rose Namajunas at UFC 261, which takes place April 24 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The event will be open to a full capacity of fans, the UFC’s first with no limits in more than a year.

According to SportsBetting.ag, Weili, the first Chinese champion in UFC history, has opened up as a -200 favorite over Namajunas, who’s listed as a respectable +170 underdog. In plain terms, a $200 bet on Weili would be needed to win $100, while a $100 bet on Namajunas would pay out $170.

Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) captured the strawweight title in August 2019 when she steamrolled Jessica Andrade in just 42 seconds in her home country of China. Looking to make it 21 straight, Weili notched her first title defense when she edged out former strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the “Fight of the Year” last March at UFC 248.

After dethroning Jedrzejczyk with a stunning first-round TKO upset at UFC 217, Namajunas (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) went on to best Jedrzejczyk once again for her first title defense just five months later. Namajunas later was on the receiving end of an upset herself, when she lost her title to Andrade by slam knockout.

Namajunas exacted her revenge over a year later by defeating Andrade via split decision in their non-title bout rematch at UFC 251 in July, setting her up for a chance to recapture her title against Weili.