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Xu Xiaodong
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Xu Xiaodong showboats during his fight against Tian Ye. Photo: Zhong Tai Boxing Club

Xu Xiaodong accepts challenge to fight Zheng Zhaoyu after Chinese kick-boxer claims he could knock him out in 30 seconds

  • Zheng Zhaoyu mocks Chinese MMA fighter’s victory against 56-year-old kung fu ‘master’
  • Xu agrees to fight Kunlun champion and gives ‘little kid’ three days to respond
Xu Xiaodong

MMA fighter Xu Xiaodong has laughed off a Chinese kick-boxer’s claim he could knock him out in 30 seconds, telling him to put his money where his mouth is.

Kunlun Fight kick-boxing champion Zheng Zhaoyu called out Xu after the man known as “Mad Dog” bludgeoned 56-year-old kung fu “master” Tian Ye, denouncing last weekend’s bout as a fight between a “madman and an idiot”.

Xu – who is on a mission to expose “fake kung fu” – took to Chinese social media and said he would accept the challenge, and that he would even agree to fight under Zheng’s standing rules, instead of his own favoured MMA rules.

“Little kid Zheng, I tell you, I hit the fake fighters and cheaters which has little to do with you,” Xu said. “You are doing this because you are trying to take advantage of it.

Zheng Zhaoyu has challenged Xu Xiaodong. Photo: Twitter

“You know there are more than 100 fighting matches in China every year, and they invite such [fighters] as Zimbabwe champions, Ethiopia champions, they are all fake.

“You said you can KO me in the standing fight format in 30 seconds. I’ll now accept your challenge and will give you three days to respond. You can think carefully.?

Zheng, dubbed the ‘Smiling Tiger”, had also criticised Xu for taking a big payday to humiliate his out-of-shape and ill-prepared opponent, but Xu defended himself, insisting he would not fight for free.

“You said you would not take any money from the fight,” Xu said. “If you have the guts, don’t take money from all your fights in future, you dare to do so?

“But I won’t fight without getting any money. I need to support my family and I am always true to everybody. Is there any fighting champion that does not fight for money?”

But Jiang Hua, founder of Beijing promotion Kunlun, appeared to pour cold water on the prospect of staging a bout between the two.

Xu Xiadong mocks Tian Ye. Photo: YouTube

He shared a Kunlun statement on social media that said they will not accept their champion fighting against an amateur from the outside who is not a professional Kunlun fighter.

They said that as a professional organisation, they only want to create fights under professional rules, but are willing to provide a platform for all professional fighters to fight in fair conditions against Zhang.

Indeed, Xu would have a huge height and weight advantage over the 75kg, 1.7-metre tall Zhang.

Kunlun also said it wanted to make fights based on merit and sportsmanship, and all its fighters to step into the ring in the right spirit and with professionalism.

The promotion did not want to provide a platform for fighters to solve their personal grievances and vent their anger, either, it said, nor spread negative emotions to the public, and hopes all of fighters respect the sport, respect Kunlun and respect the audience.

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