Bring it on: ‘The Leech’ Li Jingliang stakes a claim for greatness after devastating UFC win
Chinese fighter could be destined for big things after his stunning win over American Bobby Nash in January
There was a hero’s welcome waiting for Li Jingliang when he returned to his Beijing base last week.
Rightly so, too.
The 28-year-old from Xinjiang had travelled halfway across the world to stake his claim in the UFC’s cluttered welterweight division, currently ruled by Tyron Woodley but with any number of challengers to the throne. Li returned from UFC on Fox 23 in Denver, Colorado a winner after recording a second-round KO of American Bobby Nash, a victory that took his own record with the organization to 4-2 (and to 12-4 overall in MMA).
The result resounded loudly across Xinjiang – “It was Chinese New Year during that time. My family, friends, and fans all celebrated my win – it has been so exciting,” says Li – while reverberating across a Chinese MMA market that is crying out for a champion.
The Post tracked Li down as he kicked back with family and friends from Beijing’s China Top Team gym and found the fighter very much in a contemplative mood in terms of where his own career might be headed, and indeed the sport in China.