Homegrown talent set to test Octagon

Though still a newcomer on China’s sports landscape, UFC will definitely step up its profile with Fight Night Shanghai in November. And two homegrown fighters, Wang Guan and Li Jingliang stand ready to make their contribution.

Signed to by UFC earlier this year, the 31-year-old Wang – aka ‘The Dongbei Tiger’ – has compiled a record of 19-1-1 and is considered one of the nation’s most promising MMA competitors.

Fighting in the featherweight division, Wang has yet to make his Octagon debut but has high hopes of putting Chinese talent on the UFC map.

“I will continue to keep a clean record in the UFC, showing the world my ‘China Power’,” Wang said. “It’s a dream come true, to have my ability approved by the UFC now. This also means the opponents I face next will be the best in the world. This will push me to train even harder”.

Li – aka ‘Leech’ – fights out of Beijing and has a record of 13-4. At 29, the Xinjiang native spearheads the next wave of young Chinese talent. He is riding a threefight winning streak, having beaten Dhiego Lima, Bobby Nash and most recently Frank Camacho.

It has been Li’s long-time dream to compete on a UFC card in China. The young father has his eyes set on Fight Night Shanghai and hopes to be able to participate in the Octagon in front of a home crowd.