The promotion announced the rematch during the UFC on ESPN 30 broadcast on Saturday night. UFC 268 takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Nov. 6. A previously reported welterweight championship rematch was also made official.
Namajunas and Zhang first fought at UFC 261, where “Thug” Rose scored a shocking head-kick KO just 78 seconds into the April 24 bout. It is the second 115-pound championship reign for Namamunas, who initially captured the strap with a first-round TKO of Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217. The 29-year-old 303 Training Center representative has been victorious in five of her last six promotional appearances, with wins over Zhang, Jessica Andrade, Jedrzejczyk (twice) and Michelle Waterson.
Zhang saw a 21-fight professional winning streak come to an end at the hands of Namajunas. The 32-year-old Chinese star began her UFC career with five straight triumphs, claiming the belt with a 42-second stoppage of Jessica Andrade at UFC Fight Night 157 before taking a split verdict in a 2020 “Fight of the Year” winner at UFC 248.