Weili Zhang

On December 7, 2025, Weili Zhang announced on social media that she had earned her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt — the culmination of 13 years of dedicated training. The milestone stands as one of the most significant achievements in her martial arts journey outside of MMA competition, reflecting a long-term commitment to BJJ that ran in parallel with her rise to the highest levels of professional fighting.

In sharing the news, Zhang reflected on the personal and technical growth that jiu-jitsu had brought throughout her career, underscoring how the discipline shaped not only her grappling capabilities but also her character and competitive mindset. The 13-year timeline speaks to a sustained dedication that extended well beyond supplementary mat work — signaling a genuine, deep engagement with the art itself.

The promotion drew recognition from across the combat sports world, most notably from Mackenzie Dern, a UFC champion and accomplished BJJ black belt who publicly congratulated Zhang on the achievement. Dern's acknowledgment highlighted the respect Zhang's journey commanded within the broader BJJ community.

High-Level Training Partners and Technical Growth

Throughout her UFC career, Zhang integrated high-level BJJ training into her fight preparation, treating grappling development as a continuous and serious pursuit rather than a peripheral element of her MMA game. During training camps in 2025, she worked alongside Josh Hinger, a black belt under Atos BJJ, to sharpen her technical and competitive standards on the ground.

The collaboration with Hinger reflected a deliberate approach to elite-level grappling preparation, drawing on the expertise of one of the sport's accomplished competitors. This kind of engagement with high-level BJJ practitioners illustrates how Zhang approached the ground game with the same rigor and intentionality that dedicated BJJ competitors bring to their own training.

A Model for Formal BJJ Pursuit in MMA

Zhang's path to the black belt serves as a compelling example of how elite MMA fighters can pursue formal BJJ credentials alongside demanding professional careers. Her December 2025 promotion represents official recognition of over a decade of consistent mat work, and her status as an active UFC competitor at that time underscores the continued relevance of her BJJ development to her ongoing career in professional mixed martial arts.