UFC returns to China with August event in Shenzhen

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Wild

Wild

Zi Nazi
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
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The UFC has announced their next event in Asia, with the promotion returning to China on August 31. The event will be held in Shenzhen, at the Universiade Sports Centre.

The event will be broadcast on ESPN+, and while no bouts have been announced just yet, it is expected to feature the #6 ranked strawweight Weili Zhang. The 29-year-old Chinese fighter has gone 3-0 in the UFC, and most recently defeated contender Tecia Torres last March.

The event is also likely to feature the bulk of the Chinese fighters in the UFC roster such as Li Jingliang and Song Yadong, along with some of their other fighters from the Asian region.

This marks the UFC’s third event in Mainland China in as many years,…


UFC returns to Mainland China with August event in Shenzhen
 
Wild

Wild

Zi Nazi
Admin
Dec 31, 2014
85,161
123,536
How many fighters will the average fan know on this card? Guarantee it won't be many.
 
Chromium

Chromium

Posting Machine
Oct 10, 2016
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Chinese MMA has gotten to the point where they've managed to produce a couple of respectable midcarders, and a couple of hanger-oners. This is good progress, but it still doesn't mean they deserve annual UFC cards. The fanbase isn't really there yet. The interest isn't there yet. Even with all of China's money, not a lot of people within reasonable traveling distance inside China want to spend it on MMA yet. And unlike most or all of the previous Chinese shows, this one isn't at a casino with a close relationship with the Fertitas, which probably made things a lot smoother to book at least.

Meanwhile Korea has both some pretty decent talent, a fair amount of MMA fans, a much higher GDP per capita, and 50 million people in an area smaller than Ohio. I'm sure there's more factors, but I really don't get why the UFC is throwing China so much more love than anywhere else in Asia. They're only the third best Asian MMA market at most.
 
SongExotic2

SongExotic2

ATM 3 CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. #FREECAIN
First 100
Jan 16, 2015
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About fucken time he was back on the cards. Dude is a killing machine. Greatest fighter of all time and he's only 12 years old!
 
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