https://www.scmp.com/rss/330887/feed The latest news on Xu Xiaodong, Chinese mixed martial artist, including tai chi and sports news. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Yating Yang Yating Yang An “awesome” puppy born with only three legs, which was once recommended for euthanasia, has grown up to be a police dog in a specialist crime-fighting unit in China. Barton the Belgian Malinois has formed a deep emotional bond with his trainer, who also has problems with one of his legs and uses a wheelchair. Born in June 2019 at the dog kennel of the Special Force Unit under the Xichuan County Public Security Bureau in Nanyang, Henan province in northern China, Barton is a descendant of an... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332613/china-3-legged-puppy-destined-be-put-down-becomes-effective-swat-police-dog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/trending-china/article/3332613/china-3-legged-puppy-destined-be-put-down-becomes-effective-swat-police-dog?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 06:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The No 1 seeds Doo Hoi-kem and Wong Chun-ting twice suffered the losing feeling on their way to crashing out of the National Games mixed-doubles quarter-finals in Macau on Tuesday. Dubbed Hong Kong’s “only medal hope” by head coach Li Ching, Doo and Wong lost 4-1 to the Liaoning pair of Xu Haidong and Chen Xingtong. An ecstatic Xu collapsed to his back following a wayward Wong backhand that put the mainlanders 3-1 in front, after all four players mistakenly believed they were playing first to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3332354/national-games-hong-kongs-pairs-table-tennis-medal-hopes-over-chen-meng-storms-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3332354/national-games-hong-kongs-pairs-table-tennis-medal-hopes-over-chen-meng-storms-win?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 11:00:10 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell The National Games will be the setting on Tuesday for the comeback of an Olympic table tennis champion and the continued emergence of a frighteningly young swimming talent. It is also the first day of the men’s under-22 basketball tournament, being staged in Hong Kong. Here is our guide to the day ahead. Chen Meng is back Plenty of eyes will be on the table tennis venue in Macau at lunchtime for a long-awaited sighting of Chen Meng. Since her withdrawal from the world rankings last December,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3332253/national-games-day-2-planner-yu-zidis-meteoric-rise-chen-mengs-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3332253/national-games-day-2-planner-yu-zidis-meteoric-rise-chen-mengs-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 23:00:09 +0000 Alice Yan Alice Yan A court in China has granted the divorce application of a woman who survived after being pushed off a cliff in Thailand by her husband six years ago, sparking massive cheers on social media. Wang Nan, 38, better known online as Wang Nuannuan, suffered severe injuries after Yu Xiaodong pushed her off a 34-metre-high cliff while they were on holiday in a national park in Thailand in June 2019. She was pregnant for three months at the time and thus lost her unborn child in the autumn. Yu, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3328930/chinese-court-grants-woman-divorce-6-years-after-husband-pushed-her-thai-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3328930/chinese-court-grants-woman-divorce-6-years-after-husband-pushed-her-thai-cliff?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 06:00:10 +0000 In a year where the word viral took on a whole new meaning, finding sporting moments caught on video during 2020 proved a challenge. Alas there were still some hidden gems in a year we will never forget, a period where every league, tournament and race was either cancelled, postponed or in some way affected by coronavirus. Here are a selection of videos that somehow withstood the global pandemic and offered us up some magic during an unprecedented time. Tai chi master Ma Baoguo gets knocked... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114935/best-2020-top-viral-sports-videos-year-tai-chi-master-knock-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114935/best-2020-top-viral-sports-videos-year-tai-chi-master-knock-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Dec 2020 07:00:06 +0000 Fresh off his defeat by Xu Xiaodong last weekend, beaten tai chi master Chen Yong made a video explaining the reasons he lost in a video that was dramatically longer than the 10-second fight. The pair finally fought their long-awaited bout in the mountains of Guangdong province last weekend, two years after Chen first challenged Xu. This was Xu’s return to the cage after an extended break because of China’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. When they did finally fight it lasted all of 10... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3112776/xu-xiaodong-tai-chi-master-blames-sunlight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3112776/xu-xiaodong-tai-chi-master-blames-sunlight?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 09:56:57 +0000 Fresh from his winning return to the cage last week, controversial Chinese MMA star Xu Xiaodong has taken to exposing another kind of fraud: someone posing as him online. Xu, who has taken it upon himself to expose fraudulent kung fu masters by fighting them, posted on Twitter that a user claiming to be him on Douyin – the Chinese-language version of TikTok – was in fact an impostor. Writing in Chinese on Twitter on Saturday morning, “Mad Dog” Xu showed a picture of the account along with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3112711/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-follows-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3112711/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-follows-10?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Dec 2020 07:44:30 +0000 In an attempt to defend the honor of one of China’s great martial arts, a tai chi master named Ma Baoguo became a laughing stock in China in May only to make matters worse this month during a flirtation with retirement. The 68-year-old Ma has long boasted of superb martial art skills and formidable inner strength. He told a journalist in 2017, “I can defeat opponents much bigger and heavier than me with just one finger.”  That does not appear to have been an accurate statement.  An amateur... https://www.scmp.com/sports/chinese-internet-roasting-tai-chi-master-it-may-be-good-thing/article/3111346?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sports/chinese-internet-roasting-tai-chi-master-it-may-be-good-thing/article/3111346?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:55:20 +0000 Fresh off retiring from martial arts after being ridiculed online in videos spoofing hit films, disgraced tai chi master Ma Baoguo is set to make an appearance on the big screen. In an interview on Monday, Ma confirmed he would be playing an aged kung fu master in the upcoming film Young Kung Fu King and that he was confident in his acting skills. Ma also added that he expects the film to break box office records. “If you wait and see, it will definitely be popular,” he said, as per Sina’s own... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3111175/disgraced-chinese-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-comes-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3111175/disgraced-chinese-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-comes-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Nov 2020 09:23:18 +0000 Disgraced Chinese tai chi master Ma Baoguo has apparently walked away from martial arts after a resurgence in online ridicule over the weekend. The 69-year-old became an overnight celebrity in May when he was knocked down three times in 30 seconds in a fight with 50-year-old amateur boxer Wang Qingmin in Zibo, Shandong. Ma’s official Weibo account posted on Sunday for the first time since May, writing that “Ma has returned to a peaceful life, away from the martial arts circle of right and wrong.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3110307/disgraced-chinese-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-walks-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3110307/disgraced-chinese-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-walks-away?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Nov 2020 03:38:57 +0000 China’s top sports body is calling for rules for mixed martial arts fights, after a series of knockouts of “kung fu masters”. In a notice on Thursday, the General Administration of Sport said regulation was needed to improve the safety of competitions with the emergence of free fighting, MMA fighting and professional boxing. “[Some competitions] have unclear rules, unregulated organisation and faulty safety measures on site,” the notice said. It said standards needed to be set for fights, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3108900/china-aims-knock-out-unsafe-freestyle-and-mma-fights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3108900/china-aims-knock-out-unsafe-freestyle-and-mma-fights?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Nov 2020 10:00:12 +0000 The Chinese Wushu Association is cracking down on kung fu “masters” from overhyping themselves and bringing detrimental effects to traditional martial arts in China. The association published directives in a “proposal” on its website last week, saying also it would give “guidance” and help promote the various traditional martial arts disciplines.   In the past few years, practitioners have hyped fights for financial or personal gain, which has brought a lot of controversy. The CWA’s proposal,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3093405/chinese-kung-fu-masters-told-clean-act-and-stop-bringing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3093405/chinese-kung-fu-masters-told-clean-act-and-stop-bringing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jul 2020 05:37:00 +0000 Wang Qingmin, the amateur boxer who knocked out tai chi master Ma Baoguo this month, has said he was “scared” before the fight in his first interview since the bout went viral. The 49-year-old boxer put the 69-year-old traditional martial artist on the floor twice before delivering the knockout blow, all inside 30 seconds of the fight in Zibo, Shandong province, nine days ago. Speaking to local media in an interview that has been widely reported, Wang said he was “very uneasy” before the fight... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3086258/ma-baoguos-opponent-scared-koing-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3086258/ma-baoguos-opponent-scared-koing-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2020 02:48:25 +0000 Bang, bang, bang. Three punches in 30 seconds saw tai chi master Ma Baoguo knocked down – twice – and then out in his fight with an amateur martial artist 20 years his junior. The scenes have gone viral, racking up millions of views around the world as everyone jumps on the bandwagon to laugh at the hapless Ma and his belief that traditional Chinese martial arts are superior. Ma was the latest to find out that Chinese wushu might not be the way to go when it comes to a scrap. There have been a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085769/kod-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-may-think?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085769/kod-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-may-think?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 May 2020 05:45:59 +0000 The knockout of 69-year-old tai chi master Ma Baoguo by a former martial arts coach 20 years his junior in Shandong has been watched around the world, with fans in China and overseas ridiculing the older man for taking on the challenge. Ma was knocked down twice before being knocked out within 30 seconds and taken to hospital, where he recovered and has since left. However, footage from before the fight that shows a conversation between Ma and the fight referee shared on Chinese social media... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085441/referee-asked-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085441/referee-asked-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2020 08:02:25 +0000 Ma Baoguo’s embarrassingly quick knockout in a tournament fight in Shandong last weekend is tough to watch. Ma, 69, is clearly way out of his league. He moves like any normal sexagenarian, a little slower and a little stiffer. In many ways, the fight looks more like an assault video than a competition. Ma, who claims to be a master of Hunyuan tai chi, was taking part in his first domestic bout, but as the viral video shows, it ends in complete disaster. A 49-year-old former martial arts coach,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3085221/tai-chi-masters-embarrassing-ko-showcases-vacuum-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3085221/tai-chi-masters-embarrassing-ko-showcases-vacuum-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2020 09:00:10 +0000 Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has rubbed salt in the wounds after seeing 69-year-old tai chi “master” Ma Baoguo get knocked out in half a minute. Ma was flattened in a farcical match-up with an amateur martial arts hobbyist 20 years his junior in Shandong last weekend. Footage of the fight has gone viral on social media. “Shanghai’s Ma Baoguo knocked out by an amateur after four seconds. That’s what a ‘traitor’ gets,” Xu tweeted. “Mad Dog” Xu, of course, has history with Ma. “In 2017, he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085218/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-mocks-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085218/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-mocks-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2020 05:00:49 +0000 An elderly Chinese tai chi master’s attempt to defend his craft’s honour and his own reputation ended dismally again in a tournament in Shandong held over the weekend. In what was another “kung foolery” moment, 69-year-old Ma Baoguo was knocked down twice before he had his lights punched out for good when he fought a former martial arts coach twenty years his junior. Ma had made a name for himself on social media as he promoted what many observers called “kung fu fakery”. And not long ago, he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085102/gone-30-seconds-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3085102/gone-30-seconds-tai-chi-master-ma-baoguo?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 May 2020 11:20:59 +0000 Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong’s rise to notoriety of course began with a 10-second pulverisation of tai chi “master” Lei Lei in 2017. Now “Mad Dog” is threatening to dish out another beating to him, after Lei Lei seemingly incited violence against the author of the Wuhan Diary. Award-winning Chinese novelist and poet Fang Fang has been hit by a nationalist backlash, accused of fuelling Western criticisms of China’s handling of the Covid-19 outbreak. Her diary, first published online detailing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3080845/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-slams-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3080845/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-slams-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2020 06:41:49 +0000 It was never going to take too long for footage of another embarrassing style-vs-style challenge match to emerge from China. This time it was a Chinese World Taekwondo Federation black belt Huang Xiaolong, who is also trained in Muay Thai and karate, taking on a Chinese Muay Thai fighter in a match in Chengdu from back in 2009, but which has only recently gone viral on social media. Huang looks dazed after getting clipped straight away by a left hook from the Muay Thai fighter but manages to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3051803/chinese-taekwondo-black-belt-challenges-muay-thai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3051803/chinese-taekwondo-black-belt-challenges-muay-thai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Feb 2020 09:34:56 +0000 This article was written by Qin Chen and Arman Dzidzovic, and originally appeared in Inkstone, a daily digest of six China-focused stories. When Xu Xiaodong, China’s most controversial mixed martial artist, beat former Japanese kick-boxing champion Yuichiro Nagashima in a Bangkok ring last November, he let out a few victorious screams. Then he stopped. He had just won the biggest fight of his career, but he did not want to be seen celebrating. “If I look too happy, there will be more people... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3048431/chinese-mixed-martial-arts-fighter-xu-xiaodong-rose-fame?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/society/article/3048431/chinese-mixed-martial-arts-fighter-xu-xiaodong-rose-fame?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Feb 2020 05:00:06 +0000 For professional fighters, nerves before a match come with the job. But for Xu Xiaodong, China’s most controversial mixed martial artist, successfully leaving the country on a clear, cold day in November seemed like an impossible challenge. Standing in the departure hall of Beijing’s new international airport on a planned trip to Bangkok, Xu looked calm. But beneath the barrel-chested facade, the 41-year-old was full of worry. He felt like he was taking a huge gamble. Would he be allowed to... https://www.scmp.com/society/chinas-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-fight-survival/article/3047417?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/chinas-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-fight-survival/article/3047417?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:12:20 +0000 The 41-year-old mixed martial arts fighter Xu Xiaodong has been a controversial figure in China ever since he became famous for beating up what he called “fake” kung fu masters. Unafraid to talk about almost anything, his brash attitude has brought him stardom but also unexpected – and unwelcome – knocks on his door. In November, he set out to prove that he’s more than a tough guy who dared to challenge a cherished Chinese tradition. In the video above, Inkstone follows Xu, nicknamed “Mad... https://www.scmp.com/sports/chinas-mma-star-xu-xiaodong-fights-his-freedom/article/3042374?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sports/chinas-mma-star-xu-xiaodong-fights-his-freedom/article/3042374?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 10:12:45 +0000 Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong returned to the ring on Friday in Bangkok, Thailand, but this time it wasn’t a kung fu “fraud” he pulverised – it was a famous Japanese cosplayer instead. Yuichiro Nagashima, a former kick-boxing champion who is also trained in karate, had fought several times against the “fake Shaolin Monk” Yi Long, and “Mad Dog” Xu had claimed the fights were rigged. Xu wanted to prove he could easily beat Nagashima, so that Yi Long would have no excuses for evading a fight with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3039039/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-knocks-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3039039/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-knocks-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2019 04:56:33 +0000 It was probably inevitable that two of Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong’s vanquished “fake kung fu” opponents would eventually square off against each other. But that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. In what turned out to be a fairly one-sided battle, Lei Lei and Tian Ye recently went at it to see who was the better kung fu fighter. You may remember Lei Lei – he was the tai chi “master” who sparked “Mad Dog” Xu’s rise to fame after getting knocked out by him in 10 seconds. The video of that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3038760/two-kung-fu-masters-demolished-chinese-mma-fighter-xu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3038760/two-kung-fu-masters-demolished-chinese-mma-fighter-xu?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Nov 2019 08:28:12 +0000 Xu Xiaodong has been challenged by plenty of kung fu “masters” but they don’t normally back down before he makes them eat their words in the ring. So it was rare to see one such challenger give a sincere apology to the Chinese MMA fighter. Fifth generation iron palm kung fu master Sun Lei issued his challenge to “Mad Dog”, calling him out in a recent video on Chinese social media. “Xu Xiaodong, you recently are always talking smack about Chinese kung fu and iron palm kung fu. I am gonna... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3036896/kung-fu-master-says-sorry-backs-down-after-chinese-mma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3036896/kung-fu-master-says-sorry-backs-down-after-chinese-mma?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Nov 2019 07:01:08 +0000 Remember “A Hu”, the Chinese MMA fighter who knocked out the fake wing chun “master” last weekend? Well it turns out he actually fought two frauds in one night, and remarkably, beat them both in 72 seconds. A Hu went viral after obliterating Xu Xiaodong’s old rival Ding Hao in a kick-boxing match, dropping him with a vicious head kick. But another video unearthed from Chinese social media reveals he pulled double duty and also took on a tai chi practitioner called Song De Cai the same day. You... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3034680/chinese-mma-fighter-knocks-out-two-traditional-martial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3034680/chinese-mma-fighter-knocks-out-two-traditional-martial?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2019 05:56:36 +0000 If you enjoyed seeing Chinese MMA fighter “A Hu” thoroughly destroy wing chun “master” Ding Hao last weekend, you’ll be glad to know this wasn’t the first time he’s exposed a kung fu fraud. Ding – who was also obliterated by Xu Xiaodong – taunted A Hu in the ring before being sent face first to the canvas by a head kick after just 72 seconds. But A Hu also fought against another traditional martial arts “master” in a kick-boxing match in August, taking on Tang Duoji, founder of the kung fu style... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3033981/drunken-kung-fu-chinese-mma-fighter-knocks-stumbling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3033981/drunken-kung-fu-chinese-mma-fighter-knocks-stumbling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:25:52 +0000 You would think the kung fu frauds who get royally embarrassed by Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong would learn their lesson. Alas, one of the wing chun “masters” came back for some more punishment. Ding Hao was one of Xu’s most memorable victims – dropped on his backside multiple times before the referee mercifully stepped in after a few minutes. He blamed his performance on not being fed enough rice by event organisers before the fight. The judges also somehow inexplicably scored the fight as a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3033816/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-taunts-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3033816/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-taunts-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Oct 2019 03:37:13 +0000 Xu Xiaodong has paid another price for speaking out in support of Hong Kong people during the ongoing protests – this time on social media. Earlier this week, the Chinese MMA fighter was visited at his Beijing home by authorities who questioned his views on the demonstrations after a Twitter post. Now the fighting “Mad Dog” has had his account on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo cancelled. It is the eighth time Xu has been wiped from Weibo. He started the account earlier this year, and had... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3024065/xu-xiaodong-has-weibo-account-wiped-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3024065/xu-xiaodong-has-weibo-account-wiped-after?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Aug 2019 07:07:05 +0000 MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has said Chinese authorities visited him at his Beijing home and questioned him about his views after his comments on social media about the Hong Kong protests. While famous Chinese actors like Jackie Chan and Liu Yifei, as well as other public figures, have criticised anti-government demonstrations amid nationalist fury, the controversial “Mad Dog” spoke out in support of Hong Kong people. Last Monday, state-run news agency Xinhua called protesters “rioters”, saying they... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3023924/chinese-authorities-question-mma-fighter-xu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3023924/chinese-authorities-question-mma-fighter-xu?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 08:52:22 +0000 In Enter The Dragon, Bruce Lee uttered the famous words “boards don’t hit back”. But someone forgot to tell a Chinese wing chun “master” who seemingly idolises the Hong Kong martial arts legend. Tan Long went viral this week for his 12-second knockout at the hands of Chinese MMA fighter Xuan Wu – a friend of Xu Xiaodong, who has made it his mission to expose “fake kung fu”. What’s more, Tan was dressed in the Game of Death star’s iconic yellow jumpsuit, with the wannabe Bruce Lee even trying... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023857/bruce-lee-wannabe-breaks-bricks-training-video-mma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023857/bruce-lee-wannabe-breaks-bricks-training-video-mma?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Aug 2019 04:30:38 +0000 Xu Xiaodong’s friend Xuan Wu followed in the footsteps of his fellow Chinese MMA fighter by knocking out a “fake” kung fu master in 12 seconds – and this one was a Bruce Lee wannabe dressed in full yellow jumpsuit. The fight took place in a boxing ring in the middle of a Chinese shopping centre called the Xixia Wanda Plaza on August 3 in Yinchuan autonomous region west of Beijing. The fake Bruce Lee, real name Tan Long, was representing Chinese wing chun and had challenged Xuan Wu – a fighter... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023521/xu-xiaodongs-friend-and-fellow-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3023521/xu-xiaodongs-friend-and-fellow-chinese-mma-fighter?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Aug 2019 04:07:46 +0000 Over the past week, nationalist fury has enveloped China’s internet, prompting actors, musicians and other public figures in the mainland to criticize the continuing anti-government protests in Hong Kong. Against this backdrop, outspoken Chinese mixed martial arts fighter Xu Xiaodong has bucked the trend by speaking up for Hongkongers on social media. On Sunday, Xu, who has controversially made a name for himself by challenging what he calls “fake” kung fu masters, wrote on Twitter that Hong... https://www.scmp.com/society/xu-xiaodong-says-hong-kong-protesters-are-not-rioters-he-was-invited-tea/article/3023448?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/xu-xiaodong-says-hong-kong-protesters-are-not-rioters-he-was-invited-tea/article/3023448?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2019 10:51:40 +0000 Controversial Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has sent a message of solidarity with Hong Kong’s anti-government protesters, but said he hoped the city’s social unity would not suffer lasting damage from tensions arising from recent developments. In online posts on social media platforms Sina Weibo and YouTube, Xu doubted whether mainland Chinese media reports on the protests had presented a clear picture of what was happening and many citizens seemed to believe the unrest was the work of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3023389/mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-speaks-out-support-hong-kong-people-amid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3023389/mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-speaks-out-support-hong-kong-people-amid?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2019 06:13:42 +0000 It looks like Xu Xiaodong might have his next fight lined up, with Chinese MMA’s “Mad Dog” accepting the challenge of tai chi “champion” Fan Shuai Xin. Fan called out the 40-year-old – who likes to expose “fake kung fu” by beating up traditional martial arts masters he believes are frauds – in an interview with Chinese media. “Winter Melon,” Fan said, using the demeaning alias given to Xu by the promoters of his last fight in accordance with China’s censorship of him, “I’m not a tai chi master,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3019442/xu-xiaodong-accepts-challenge-tai-chi-idiot-liar-fan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3019442/xu-xiaodong-accepts-challenge-tai-chi-idiot-liar-fan?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jul 2019 09:13:32 +0000 Canadian wing chun master Pierre Francois Flores has taken things a step further in his bid to challenge Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong. Flores flew from Vietnam to China this week and turned up outside the outspoken 41-year-old’s gym in Chaoyang District, Beijing. “Mad Dog” was seemingly not there, but that didn’t stop Flores, who wants to strike a blow for traditional martial arts against Xu, from talking some smack. “He’s a very brave warrior, and I know him because I watch his training,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3018180/canadian-wing-chun-master-pierre-flores-turns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3018180/canadian-wing-chun-master-pierre-flores-turns?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jul 2019 08:21:46 +0000 Outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has been challenged by yet another wing chun master who says he is looking to defend the honour of traditional martial arts – but this one is Canadian and actually won a few fights. Pierre-Francois Flores was in Hanoi last week and beat amateur fighter Luu Cuong under kick-boxing rules – though he was reportedly 12kg heavier than his opponent. The 43-year-old caused a stir in 2017 when he competed in a full-contact bout with a local karate practitioner.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3017065/canadian-wing-chun-master-pierre-flores-wants-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3017065/canadian-wing-chun-master-pierre-flores-wants-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jul 2019 06:41:58 +0000 Xu Xiaodong has mocked a “fake” kung fu practitioner, ridiculing Huo Yanshan as the “acupuncture master” after he won what clearly appears to be a staged bout in China against a supposed Sanda fighter. Dressed in traditional martial arts attire but wearing boxing gloves for last weekend’s fight, Huo circled around the ring with his opponent before checking a couple of his kicks. The “Sanda fighter” then flopped to the floor after one mighty chop to his left pectoral from Huo, and rolled around... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3016982/xu-xiaodong-mocks-acupuncture-master-huo-yanshan-fake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3016982/xu-xiaodong-mocks-acupuncture-master-huo-yanshan-fake?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jul 2019 11:44:54 +0000 Xu Xiaodong has called tai chi master Lu Hang a “cheat” for backing out of a fight after offering the Chinese MMA fighter 10 million yuan (US$1.45 million) if he beat him. Sichuanese Yang-style master Lu, who claims to be the No 1 martial arts fighter in China, said he still wants to teach Xu Xiaodong a lesson – but only after he has completed three years of intense training, which he plans to showcase on a daily live-stream. “I think Lu is a cheat,” Xu told the Post. “He wants to become an... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3016155/xu-xiaodong-calls-tai-chi-master-cheat-backing-out-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3016155/xu-xiaodong-calls-tai-chi-master-cheat-backing-out-10?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2019 08:30:19 +0000 Xu Xiaodong has said he intends to countersue the tai chi “grandmaster” Chen Xiaowang, who won a Chinese court case that forced him to pay damages last month. The outspoken Chinese MMA fighter had claimed in a rant on social media earlier this week that he intends to move to Australia because “everyone is leaving China”. Chen relocated to Australia in 1990 having been born in Chenjiagou in 1945. But he revealed there are further reasons behind his plan. “I want to acquire Australian citizenship,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015723/xu-xiaodong-wants-countersue-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015723/xu-xiaodong-wants-countersue-tai-chi?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2019 10:29:52 +0000 Remember when Xu Xiaodong obliterated wing chun “master” Ding Hao last year? Well it turns out the judge somehow ruled the match a draw. Ding bills himself as “one of the four great wing chun masters in China”, but outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu knocked him down four times before the referee mercifully waived off the fight. It was a clear victory for the 41-year-old “Mad Dog”, who has made it his mission to expose kung fu frauds by beating up fake traditional martial arts masters. But the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015641/judge-somehow-rules-xu-xiaodongs-annihilation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3015641/judge-somehow-rules-xu-xiaodongs-annihilation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2019 03:23:39 +0000 Xu Xiaodong, the Chinese mixed martial arts fighter who angered Chinese officials by exposing so-called fake kung fu masters, says he will keep fighting them, even if it means he has to acquire foreign citizenship. Xu told Inkstone that he hopes to acquire Australian citizenship in order to counter-sue Chen Xiaowang, a tai chi master who sued Xu for defamation and won. “I want to acquire Australian citizenship, if I can find someone to sponsor and help me with that,” Xu told me over WeChat,... https://www.scmp.com/society/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-vows-keep-exposing-fake-kung-fu-masters/article/3015565?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/chinese-mma-fighter-xu-xiaodong-vows-keep-exposing-fake-kung-fu-masters/article/3015565?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 11:11:19 +0000 Outspoken Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has said he wants to leave China and become an Australian citizen. “Mad Dog” has made it his mission to expose fake kung fu over the past two years by pulverising fraudulent traditional martial arts “masters” – but his actions have drawn the ire of Chinese authorities. In a bizarre video posted to Chinese social media where he is wearing some kind of medieval knight’s helmet, Xu railed against his treatment in his home country. “I want to see how I can... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3015125/xu-xiaodong-says-hell-leave-china-and-become-australian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/kung-fu/article/3015125/xu-xiaodong-says-hell-leave-china-and-become-australian?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Jun 2019 03:40:14 +0000 We’re used to seeing Xu Xiaodong obliterating kung fu frauds, but the outspoken Chinese MMA fighter hasn’t always had his way with his opponents – especially when he faced some who can actually fight. Since going viral in 2017 for knocking out tai chai “master” Wei Lei in 10 seconds, “Mad Dog” Xu has been steadfast in his mission to expose “fake kung fu”. But there’s a difference between calling out non-experienced traditional martial artists, and actually taking on a semi-professional... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3014542/time-xu-xiaodong-got-his-skull-fractured-muay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3014542/time-xu-xiaodong-got-his-skull-fractured-muay?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Jun 2019 09:00:16 +0000 In a boxing ring in northwestern China last month, controversial mixed martial arts fighter Xu Xiaodong found himself up against a kung fu master who professed the ability to paralyze an opponent with the jab of his finger. This mystical technique is sometimes called the “death touch.” But on May 18, touch was probably the last thing the kung fu master Lu Gang wanted. Xu landed punch after punch to his face. Forty seconds and one broken nose later, the fight was over. Over the past two years,... https://www.scmp.com/society/xu-xiaodong-chinese-mma-fighter-crusade-against-fake-kung-fu-faces-punishment/article/3013388?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/society/xu-xiaodong-chinese-mma-fighter-crusade-against-fake-kung-fu-faces-punishment/article/3013388?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2019 09:08:24 +0000 There seems to be something about food when it comes to martial arts frauds making excuses for the crushing defeats they are dealt by Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong. Wing chun practitioner Ding Hao only got pulverised by Xu last year because he was hungry and wasn’t given enough rice before the fight, according to his shifu (or coach). Now wing chun dim mak (pressure point) “master” Lu Gang is blaming his vegetarianism for getting obliterated by “Mad Dog” in less than a minute last month. Never... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3013307/xu-xiaodong-only-beat-me-because-im-vegetarian-says-wing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3013307/xu-xiaodong-only-beat-me-because-im-vegetarian-says-wing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2019 02:31:02 +0000 It seems Xu Xiaodong isn’t the only Chinese MMA fighter dealing out embarrassing beat downs to traditional martial arts practitioners. A video has gone viral of a Chengdu man, who trains in wing chun, challenging fighters from a Sichuan MMA promotion to face him. “Do you guys want to fight me?” he said, posing in a kung fu stance, in a video posted on Chinese social media platform Douyin. His request was respectable – he only wanted to test his skills and represent wing chun. Professional... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012279/wing-chun-devotee-challenges-chinese-mma-fighter-and-gets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012279/wing-chun-devotee-challenges-chinese-mma-fighter-and-gets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 May 2019 08:33:55 +0000 Those of you who have been following Chinese MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong’s mission to expose “fake kung fu” over the last couple of years may remember one of the beat downs he administered in particular. In 2018, “Mad Dog” smashed Ding Hao – who bills himself as one of the “four great wing chun masters in China” – in a fight that went viral on Chinese social media. It was an emphatic defeat for Ding, but now he has called out Xu for a rematch. “Xu Xiaodong, do you still remember my fist?” he said in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012106/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-challenges-xu-xiaodong-rematch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3012106/wing-chun-master-ding-hao-challenges-xu-xiaodong-rematch?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2019 07:07:38 +0000 Xu Xiaodong’s nickname may be “Mad Dog”, but the Chinese MMA fighter looked even angrier than usual dealing out his latest beat down of a kung fu fraud. The 41-year-old pulverised balding pressure point wing chun “master” Lu Gang in Karamay, China, last weekend breaking his hapless opponent’s nose and beating him in 47 seconds. But exposing yet another fake martial artist didn’t seem to satisfy Xu, who still looked spitting mad as he paced around the ring while a doctor tended to his most recent... https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3011784/china-censoring-xu-xiaodong-exposing-kung-fu-frauds-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/mixed-martial-arts/article/3011784/china-censoring-xu-xiaodong-exposing-kung-fu-frauds-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 May 2019 05:47:25 +0000