“I am an MMA fighter, so I need to work on everything,” he says plainly. “Striking, boxing, wrestling, grappling.”
As he sits in Las Vegas on the eve of his first fight in the UFC Apex, the flyweight seems visibly at ease. His team joyfully helps him warm up in the Octagon, playing music and joking while they run through some light training.
“I feel great. Travel was good as well. This is the second time I come to the US. So everything is easier than last time.”
Ketlen Vieira | Everything That I Need
He looks forward to indulging his other big hobby—riding motorcycles—after Saturday’s fisticuffs, but he hope the UFC won’t give him too long to enjoy it.
“I want to be active and fight more often. I’m never picky about my opponent. I just need a name from the UFC — ranked, non-ranked, debutant or the champ — just give me a name.”
You can tell he means what he’s saying; there’s no hyperbole or false hype. He’s truly just a man that loves to fight. And he knows that down the road—hopefully sooner than later—the UFC will be returning to China, where he can put on a show in front of his compatriots on the biggest MMA stage in the world.
“I was born and grew up in Inner Mongolia, China. My family were herders and lived in a nomadic way when I was a child. I miss the endless grassland in my hometown. China is home. Nowhere is better than home.”
