UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili is expanding her reach, set to appear on both the small and big screens.
Recognized as a major figure and influence in her native China, the fighter is having her life story turned into a new drama series. This untitled project was recently approved by iQiYi, China`s leading streaming service, during the Beijing International Film Festival, with production anticipated to commence shortly.
Beyond the television series based on her life, the 35-year-old is also venturing into acting with a featured role in the upcoming film After Typhoon, directed by award-winning filmmaker Li Yu.
Within this art-house drama, Zhang portrays the character Ah Xi, described as “a woman with a tragic past whose life takes a dramatic turn after she encounters a young stranger on an island facing a storm.”
While Zhang has maintained a demanding fight schedule, she revealed that acting was not something she seriously considered until meeting Li and reading the script for this particular film, which prompted her to explore the possibility.
“Not at all. Never [considered acting],” Zhang commented. “It happened very suddenly, and because it was so unexpected, I was initially opposed to it. Especially since this isn`t a fight film or action-oriented. It`s a deeply emotional film, and initially, I wasn`t sure how that might impact me.” She continued, “I am comfortable with fighting – that is my domain. But delving into drama, into emotions, is completely different from what I typically do. However, the more I thought about it, the more appealing the idea of taking on this challenge became.”
Interestingly, Zhang received the script for the film around the same period she was preparing for her title defense against Yan Xiaonan at the historic UFC 300 event. Although her acting debut could potentially have been a distraction, Zhang mentioned that focusing on something outside of fighting actually proved beneficial during that time.
“I believe it was actually quite helpful in terms of allowing me to relax,” Zhang explained. “Normally, before a fight, we constantly discuss tactics and the fight itself, but we could actually have conversations about the script, which helped me forget about everything else for a while. It was a very intriguing experience.”
Zhang successfully defended her title against Yan at UFC 300. More recently, in February at UFC 312, she impressively defeated the previously undefeated challenger Tatiana Suarez.
Currently, Zhang does not have her next fight scheduled, though speculation suggests she might consider moving up to the flyweight division to challenge the winner of the upcoming UFC 315 co-main event between Valentina Shevchenko and Manon Fiorot.
While fighting remains her primary focus, Zhang admitted she enjoyed her experience making her feature film debut and is now open to considering acting roles again in the future.
“My primary focus is now back on training,” Zhang stated, “but who knows what the future holds? I think if a suitable role came along, whether it`s action or drama, I would be inclined to accept it now.”
