Enter the Dragons: UFC on guard as it prepares for wave of Chinese fighters at elite level
Youngster Song Yadong is at the vanguard of China’s push into elite MMA competition and will aim to put on a show during his sophomore outing in Singapore
“It won’t be long now,” says Song. “It takes time to have the ability to be a UFC champion but for a Chinese fighter I think this is now mission possible.”
Over the next two months the world will get to see just how far MMA has come in China as a wave of fighters from the mainland take to the sport’s largest stage.
First up is UFC Fight Night 132 in Singapore on June 23 which has so far announced four Chinese fighters – including the featherweight Song (11-3, two no contests) – on a card headlined by American welterweight hero Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone (33-10) and rising British star Leon “Rocky” Edwards (15-3).
Then comes UFC 227 on August 4 featuring two Chinese fighters including the highly touted strawweight Zhang Weili (16-1) making her UFC debut.
But first to Song, and to the story of a now 20-year-old who was a late call up at UFC Fight Night 122 in Shanghai last November and thrilled local fans on debut when dismantling India’s Bharat “Daring” Khandare (5-3) within a round.
History will show just how good the quality of Song’s opponent actually was on that night – it was Khandare’s first turnout for the UFC also – but what was almost as impressive as Song’s effort was the ease in which he graced the biggest MMA platform there is.