Dana White: UFC 'All In' on China as Zhang Mingyang headlines in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- UFC president Dana White, in an interview with Xinhua, says the promotion is "all in" on China, with Saturday's sold-out card in Shanghai marking a major step in the organization's long-term plans for the country.

Tickets for the event, headlined by light heavyweight Zhang Mingyang against Brazil's Johnny Walker, sold out in less than a minute, underscoring the sport's surging popularity in China.

"That's the game plan," White said. "Obviously, we've had our challenges holding events here. But I think we're slowly, but surely getting all those worked out. We've made a big investment here and we're all in."

White emphasized that UFC's expansion strategy in China is not a short-term play. "Everything that we're doing is long term. We don't really do any short term. We knock out like five-year goals, but you know everything that we do - obviously coming into this country and building a place like this, and not just the expense of building it but the cost that it takes to run this thing."

He noted that China's potential is enormous but tied directly to developing elite fighters. "It's all about cultivating talent. We have to be able to get fighters that can break into the top 10 and obviously become world champions," he said, pointing to Australia as a model. "If you look at our investment in Australia and how that worked out, and how many killers are coming out of there right now - it'll happen here too."

The promotion's turning point in China came in 2019, when the UFC Performance Institute opened in Shanghai and Zhang Weili became China's first champion. "That was definitely one of [our pivotal moments]," White said. "Building this, having her win and become the world champion - not just becoming champion, but being so dominant. She's one of the greatest female fighters of all time."

Friday's card also showcased rising talent, including debutant Si Ming, who went viral with a head-kick knockout in Macao. White said those breakout moments can change careers overnight. "You have your breakout moment. You call it viral, and the whole world notices you and everybody is watching. Now what can you do with that? There's been other people who have had these moments - Ronda Rousey, Conor McGregor - and the list goes on and on. Can she deliver and can she run with this?"

As for the main event, White believes Zhang Mingyang has all the attributes to become a star. "Light heavyweight, Chinese light heavyweight, good looking kid, hits like a truck. He literally checks all the boxes in what you hope for," he said. "Obviously, Saturday is a big test for him. Johnny Walker will go in there and bang with him, and it should be an absolute barn burner fight."

White acknowledged the added pressure Zhang will face competing at home. "Every time people fight in their hometowns, they always say it's the worst, it's the most pressure they've ever felt. So we'll see how he deals with that too. It's more than just being talented. There's a lot of pressure and a lot of things you gotta deal with."

For White, the goal is clear: more events, bigger arenas, and a new generation of Chinese fighters breaking into the global spotlight. "We want to bring as many events as we can here. We want bigger arenas, we want all these things. Nothing is gonna change that." ■