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Nicolas Atkin

The UFC has signed two more academy graduates out of its state-of-the-art Shanghai Performance Institute.
“Mongolian Murderer” Aori Qileng (18-6) and “Dragon Girl” Na Liang (14-4) become the second and third Chinese fighters to make the grade after “The Mongolian Knight” Alateng Heili (14-8-1).
“We’re so proud to see Aori Qileng and Na Liang graduate from our programme and wish them all the best as they continue their journey into the UFC,” said Kevin Chang, the UFC’s APAC senior vice-president.
“The hard work, sacrifice and dedication our athletes put in to improving themselves is tremendous.”


The 24-year-old bantamweight Na, of Heilongjiang province, had put together a four-fight win streak in Chinese regional promotion WLF, where she was a former flyweight champ.
Aori, 27, is a former WLF bantamweight champ and had won his last six fights – four of them by finish – in the organisation.
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“This is only the beginning and the next generation of UFC fighters from China and Asia are right behind them,” said Chang.
“There’s so much potential in this part of the world that if properly developed will reach the highest levels of the sport, which is the main reason we decided to invest in and build the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai in 2019.”
Alateng is 2-1 in the UFC after debuting with a Fight of the Night bonus in Shenzhen in August 2019 on the undercard of UFC Fight Night 157, where strawweight queen Zhang Weili (21-1) TKO’d Jessica Andrade (21-8) in 42 seconds to become China’s first UFC champion.

Another positive for the UFC’s China contingent this week is Su Mudaerji’s breakthrough into the flyweight rankings.
“The Tibetan Eagle” (14-4) is a new entry at 14 after a unanimous decision over Zarrukh Adashev last week on Fight Island made it three wins on the bounce in the promotion.
The 25-year-old has put together back-to-back wins since dropping down from bantamweight, starting with an impressive 44-second knockout of Canada’s Malcolm Gordon (12-5) in November.

Su earned a US$50,000 performance bonus for that finish at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and used the money to stay in the US and train at the Team Alpha Male gym in California under the guidance of Urijah Faber.
The UFC Hall of Famer has been developing the skills of other Chinese prospects like Song “The Kung Fu Monkey” Yadong (16-4-1, one no contest) and Yan Xiaonan (13-1, one no contest), while veteran Li “The Leech” Jingliang (18-6) also fine-tuned his preparations in Sacramento before his first-round KO of Santiago Ponzinibbio this month.


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Na Liang (left) and Aori Qileng are the second and third China academy graduates to sign with the UFC. Photo: Handout

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 20: (R-L) Sumudaerji of Tibet punches Zarrukh Adashev of Uzbekistan in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 20, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

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Su Mudaerji punches Zarrukh Adashev in a flyweight fight at the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Photos: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 20: (L-R) Zarrukh Adashev of Uzbekistan punches Sumudaerji of Tibet in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 20, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 23: (R-L) Sara McMann punches Julianna Pena in a bantamweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

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Na and Aori become second and third stars to join UFC roster from company’s Shanghai Performance Institute
‘This is only the beginning – the next generation of UFC fighters from China and Asia are right behind them,’ says APAC chief Kevin Chang



Na Liang and Aori Qileng become second and third stars to join UFC from Shanghai Performance Institute – ‘this is only the beginning,’ says APAC chief Kevin Chang.
