Zhang Weili was actually the underdog heading into her title defense against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 but she proved those odds were way off with her performance in the co-main event.

After getting a feel for Suarez’s wrestling in the opening round, Zhang completely took over a she shut down repeated takedown attempts and then just battered the former Olympic hopeful on the feet and on the ground. When time expired, Zhang looked as fresh as ever while Suarez was sporting cuts, bruises and swelling from the immense amount of punishment she absorbed across five rounds.

The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46 and 49-45 with Zhang getting the unanimous decision win.

“I had a full camp for this fight. I’m well prepared for this fight,” Zhang said about shutting down Suarez’s wrestling. “I respect Tatiana. Tatiana is very strong. I respect Tatiana, thank you. I’m the underdog, it’s OK. I just focus on myself.”

It took less than a minute for Suarez to get to the body and she immediately dragged Zhang to the canvas but that as she stayed on top during the grappling exchange, Zhang was throwing elbows and making every second as uncomfortable as possible for her opponent.

A scramble led to Suarez jumping for the guillotine choke but Zhang was able to escape and then she landed on top before the opening round came to a close.

Suarez wasted no time looking for another takedown but Zhang defended and actually reversed as the strawweights hit the canvas. With Zhang on top, she began raining down punches and elbows before Suarez was able to break free and get back to her feet.

Another takedown attempt from Suarez was countered yet again with Zhang ending up on top as she continued to pepper away at the challenger in an attempt to break her will.

As time passed, Zhang’s confidence really began to swell as she was outstriking Suarez on the feet with no fear of the takedown. That’s when Zhang blasted Suarez with a huge right hand and the former Ultimate Fighter winner was wobbled badly.

While Suarez managed to avoid the knockdown, she had to desperately turn to her wrestling in an attempt to slow down the champion’s momentum. Zhang was just teeing off on Suarez in the striking exchanges and it felt like the finish could come at any moment.

By the time the fight moved into the fourth round, Zhang actually scored a takedown of her own — a first in Suarez’s UFC career — and that led to an arm triangle choke attempt from the champion. Suarez managed to fight her way free but she was still stuck on the bottom eating shots from Zhang on top.

Suarez was also dealing with a nasty gash on her knee that happened early in the fight during a grappling exchange where she got cut by the fence. Still, Suarez kept trying to turn to her grappling but Zhang just shut her down at every turn.

Zhang was making Suarez pay every time she closed the distance, unloading inside punches and elbows and really beginning to punish her opponent. Back on top again, Zhang pressed down on Suarez looking to drain the last ounce of life out of her.

As time expired, Zhang was still hammering away with Suarez clinging onto her until the final horn.

It was a stunning performance from the strawweight queen as Zhang dispatched arguably her toughest challenge to date and a fighter in Suarez who many had pegged as a future champion ever since she joined the UFC roster.

The victory also puts Zhang in an interesting position after she previously mentioned possibly pursuing a second title in the future with hopes that she could challenge flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko next. Given her performance on Saturday, Zhang may have just secured that opportunity.