In a title match, whether it was a men's or a women's contest, Zhang Weili gave one of the best performances in UFC history.
And yet, when the fight in the co-main event of UFC 292 at Boston's TD Garden came to a finish on Saturday, Amanda Lemos, her defeated rival, was also a significant part of the narrative.
In a stunning performance, Zhang regained her strawweight title with a unanimous decision victory by scores of 50-43, 50-44, and 49-45.
According to Yahoo Sports, Zhang won 50–44. In addition to out-landing Lemos 288–21, Zhang had six takedowns compared to zero for a knockdown and 14:52, or nearly three full rounds, under control.
Lemos endured mind-boggling amounts of punishment, but late in the first round, after taking a beating, she managed to trap Zhang in a D'Arce choke.
This nearly ended the battle. Lemos was completely outmatched by Zhang, who was aggressively after submissions.
She was also brutally ground-and-pounding her with her hammer fists and elbows.
Lemos, though, never gave up attempting to win, and she landed some powerful right punches during the rare instances that she was on her feet during the bout.