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Zhang Weili’s team have dismissed Rose Namajunas’ controversial “better dead than red” comments leading into their UFC 261 title fight on April 24.
The last week has been a media firestorm for the 28-year-old Namajunas (9-4), the Lithuanian-American receiving criticism for her perceived attacks towards UFC strawweight champion Zhang (21-1) while denouncing communism.
The Chinese superstar and her team have been in Florida at an undisclosed location putting on the finishing touches to preparations for her second title defence, which takes place in front of 15,000 fans at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, and the outside distractions have not penetrated their bubble.
“To be honest with you we haven’t been paying attention,” Ruben Payan Jnr, Zhang’s strength and conditioning coach, told SCMP MMA. “It’s been like watching it but not feeling it.
“This is the soap opera that’s happening but [we’re] not really engaging in it because we’re just so focused on the fight.
“It hasn’t even been a topic of the team. I wish there was something more that I could say but it’s non-emotional. There’s really nothing to say if you’re not really emotionally attached to it.”
MMA social media circles have become a powder keg of bickering with fans and pundits on both sides of the fence hurling insults. Zhang has kept quiet, but the 31-year-old will put out an official statement during fight week, according to Payan.
“You’re just kind of watching things happen and you’re watching people talk about it,” IHP Asia director Payan said. “And you see people get upset about it. And you see the comments but you’re not involved in it. That’s kind of how it feels.
“Even though some of the comments are directed towards [Zhang], there’s so much non-truths to it that it’s like we’re not even going to pay attention to it. That’s kind of how we feel.”
A former US marine living and working in China as a fitness consultant, lecturer and trainer, who has also worked with Zhang’s fellow UFC stars Yan Xiaonan and “The Leech” Li Jingliang, Payan said some of Namajunas’ comments made him chuckle
“I’ve known the team since the birth of the team,” he said. “So you go to the infancy, the birth of it. So you know the struggles and who’s involved. Where the money comes from. We know all of that, so when they say ‘the government is doing this’ … Uh, no. No, they’re not.
“If the story is ‘yes they are’ and that’s what you want to believe … I mean the hardest thing for people to do is accept they’re wrong, because of the narrative that has been played in movies and on media. And the truth of the matter is, no, you’re actually wrong.
And I think you should humble yourself and say maybe I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, and maybe I should talk to the person and listen and understand it’s been a lot of work for the team and every individual to get here.
And we’re not going to allow lies and things that are just not true to take away from our personal success as a team and a family.
“I lived there for so long and I understand what it feels like to be free and go live in China. To live in a communist bubble. Underneath all of that, the people are still chill. And I say that because I come in from the military and go into China. People underneath the layers of names and labels, they’re all the same.”
https://amp.scmp.com/sport/martial-...&src=amp-next-page-article&rand=1618766652250
The last week has been a media firestorm for the 28-year-old Namajunas (9-4), the Lithuanian-American receiving criticism for her perceived attacks towards UFC strawweight champion Zhang (21-1) while denouncing communism.
The Chinese superstar and her team have been in Florida at an undisclosed location putting on the finishing touches to preparations for her second title defence, which takes place in front of 15,000 fans at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, and the outside distractions have not penetrated their bubble.
“To be honest with you we haven’t been paying attention,” Ruben Payan Jnr, Zhang’s strength and conditioning coach, told SCMP MMA. “It’s been like watching it but not feeling it.
“This is the soap opera that’s happening but [we’re] not really engaging in it because we’re just so focused on the fight.
“It hasn’t even been a topic of the team. I wish there was something more that I could say but it’s non-emotional. There’s really nothing to say if you’re not really emotionally attached to it.”
MMA social media circles have become a powder keg of bickering with fans and pundits on both sides of the fence hurling insults. Zhang has kept quiet, but the 31-year-old will put out an official statement during fight week, according to Payan.
“You’re just kind of watching things happen and you’re watching people talk about it,” IHP Asia director Payan said. “And you see people get upset about it. And you see the comments but you’re not involved in it. That’s kind of how it feels.
“Even though some of the comments are directed towards [Zhang], there’s so much non-truths to it that it’s like we’re not even going to pay attention to it. That’s kind of how we feel.”
A former US marine living and working in China as a fitness consultant, lecturer and trainer, who has also worked with Zhang’s fellow UFC stars Yan Xiaonan and “The Leech” Li Jingliang, Payan said some of Namajunas’ comments made him chuckle
“I’ve known the team since the birth of the team,” he said. “So you go to the infancy, the birth of it. So you know the struggles and who’s involved. Where the money comes from. We know all of that, so when they say ‘the government is doing this’ … Uh, no. No, they’re not.
“If the story is ‘yes they are’ and that’s what you want to believe … I mean the hardest thing for people to do is accept they’re wrong, because of the narrative that has been played in movies and on media. And the truth of the matter is, no, you’re actually wrong.
And I think you should humble yourself and say maybe I shouldn’t jump to conclusions, and maybe I should talk to the person and listen and understand it’s been a lot of work for the team and every individual to get here.
And we’re not going to allow lies and things that are just not true to take away from our personal success as a team and a family.
“I lived there for so long and I understand what it feels like to be free and go live in China. To live in a communist bubble. Underneath all of that, the people are still chill. And I say that because I come in from the military and go into China. People underneath the layers of names and labels, they’re all the same.”
https://amp.scmp.com/sport/martial-...&src=amp-next-page-article&rand=1618766652250
