Zhang Weili will look to defend her strawweight championship against Amanda Lemos during UFC 292 at TD Garden on Saturday, and at least one person in her corner will be quite familiar with the venue.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla uses jiu-jitsu to help channel his focus, and he met Weili during a training session. The strawweight champion posted a photo on Instagram of them together on July 14.
“I didn’t know basketball coaches liked jiu-jitsu,” Weili wrote. “Welcome to the world of MMA, coach. If you can make it, you are invited to join us at #UFC292 in Boston.”
The Celtics prepare for training camp in September, but the strawweight champion got her answer before Saturday’s fight.
“He said yes,” Weili told reporters Wednesday, per The Boston Globe’s Cam Kerry. “At first he said no … because he was conflicted with something on his schedule but his schedule has changed, so now he can come this Saturday.”
Weili regained the UFC strawweight title after submitting Carla Esparza at UFC 282 at Madison Square Garden. Lemos is her first defense, and she is coming off a TKO win over Marina Rodriguez on Nov. 5, 2022.
The strawweight title bout is the co-main event with bantamweight title fight between champion Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley.
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UFC 292 is the first pay-per-view in Boston since UFC 220. Stay tuned to NESN.com this Saturday for full coverage of UFC 292.
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
