UFC Fight Night 198: Aori Qileng says Chinese fighters are learning fast as he looks for first win
- ‘The Mongolian Murderer’ returns to action in flyweight clash against American Cody Durden at UFC Fight Night 198
- ‘We talked a lot about the journey we are on in the UFC. It’s far more complicated than any of us thought,’ says Aori
Flyweight Aori Qileng believes UFC 261 was a wake-up call for the new generation of Chinese fighters looking to make their mark in the UFC as much as it was just for himself.
On that night in April, in Jacksonville, Florida, there were three Chinese fighters on debut – all fresh graduates of the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai – and they went 0-3 across the first fights on the card.
“There was a lot to discuss between us Chinese fighters in that car after that night,” recalls Aori. “We just talked about why we lost and the ways we need to improve, and why these fighters seemed better than us. And we talked a lot about the journey we Chinese fighters are on in the UFC.”
The 28-year-old Aori (18-8) is back in action this weekend, facing American Cody Durden (11-3-1) as part of the early preliminaries on the UFC Fight Night 198 card from Las Vegas, and he said he learned from the bitter loss he experienced on debut.
Aori and the American Jeff Molina (10-2) went at each other for almost every second available across the three rounds allotted, before Molina was awarded the decision – and the pair were later thrown US$50,000 each in Fight of the Night bonuses for their troubles.
“I would have had him if there were 20 more seconds,” says Aori, who had Molina against the cage and in trouble when the bell rang. “I guarantee I would have finished him for sure. But I learned that night that it’s not just the fighter you have to overcome in the UFC. There are the nerves, the fans who might boo you. It’s far more complicated fighting UFC than any of us thought.”