Song Yadong and Shi Ming: Why Victorious Chinese MMA Fighters Feel the Need to Keep Proving Themselves

While Song Yadong entered the arena uplifted by the theme song of Sun Wukong, or Monkey God, and “fighting doctor” Shi Ming checked the pulse of the opponent she subdued in the Octagon, the big question is why both victorious MMA fighters have felt the need to keep proving themselves.

As UFC Fight Night Macau concluded on Saturday night, only Song out of seven Chinese competitors on the card secured a victory, defeating Brazilian ground specialist and former champion Deiveson Figueiredo via a guillotine choke.

The previous night, during the championship for Road to UFC Season 5, Shi comfortably defeated Puja Tomar, India’s first female UFC fighter, in a much-anticipated fight.

After the bout, Song admitted he had faced immense pressure.

“I did feel pressure at the time. I thought Zhang Mingyang would definitely win and I believed in him, but I did not expect the upset [against Alonzo Menifield]. When I walked out, I thought it was impossible for all Chinese fighters to lose tonight, so the pressure was still heavy,” the bantamweight said.

However, when his walkout music “Celestial Symphony” – the theme that opens the Monkey God TV series Journey to the West – was played, his mind became clear. “I just focused on the fight, focusing on how to win this match.”