Zhang blasts Jedrzejczyk for coronavirus joke
Zhang Weili hit back at Joanna Jedrzejczyk on Wednesday after her upcoming opponent joked about the coronavirus that's spreading across the UFC strawweight champion's home country of China.
Jedrzejczyk (16-3-0) shared a fan-made image of herself wearing a gas mask, with a series of emojis above it, including a laughing face. It's no longer on her Instagram story.
Shame on you @joannamma! You just lost a fan with this BS pic.twitter.com/IFZTz6mS61
— ZombieProphet (@GIFsZP) January 28, 2020
"Say what you want about me if it makes you feel stronger but do not joke about what's happening here," Zhang (20-1-0) said on Instagram.
Chinese officials confirmed nearly 6,000 cases of the illness as of Wednesday, according to The New York Times. China also announced that 132 people have died from the virus, which has also spread to Europe and North America.
Jedrzejczyk later apologized via her Instagram story for offending Zhang.
Zhang is set to make her first title defense against Jedrzejczyk, a former strawweight champion, in the co-main event of UFC 248 in Las Vegas on March 7. Middleweight king Israel Adesanya will take on Yoel Romero in the headliner.
- With h/t to MMA Fighting