Zhang Weili - Chinese flag
Photo Credit: VCG
SPORTS

Zhang Weili and China’s Upcoming Fight of the Century

How will the first all-Chinese title fight in UFC history impact China’s MMA community?

It’s early and bitterly cold, but the park next to Xi’an’s city wall is alive with activity. A group of men chat in between sets of muscle-ups on exercise bars. Elderly women walk side by side, clapping their gloved hands, while joggers cut a path through it all, leaving trails of icy breath.

But there is one noise that dominates the soundscape: the periodic “Ha!” of young, eager voices. Rows of children, eight deep, fight imaginary opponents in their martial arts class.

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author Jimmy Reid

Jimmy Reid is a freelance writer. He focuses on exploring the nexus between international politics and the lives of real people, with particular interests in China‘s influence in Southeast Asia, martial arts, and the exploration of cultural differences.

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