The UFC announced this week that is has signed “The Dongbei Tiger” Wang Guan to its featherweight division, suggesting a renewed push into the Asian MMA market dominated by promotions like ONE Championship and ROAD FC. Guan (15-1-1) is considered one of China’s top fighters, but curiously, has not competed since January of 2015. Having debuted back in 2006, Guan has most recently been competing in the RUFF promotion, and is a former RUFF featherweight champion.
In a statement as part of the UFC’s press release on the signing, Guan stated that
I will continue to keep a clean record in the UFC, showing the world my ‘China Power.’ It’s a dream come true, my ability is approved by the UFC now. This also means the opponents I face next will be the best in the world. This will push me to train even harder”
According to the UFC’s statement, the hope is that Guan will debut at UFC Singapore in June at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. However, the signing clearly signifies more than that. Speaking to the South China Morning Post just last week, UFC Head of International and Content Joe Carr stated that
We’re definitely working on our first event in mainland China. We’ve had a couple of events in Macau but it’s completely different going to a Beijing or a Shanghai. I have nothing to announce but it’s definitely a priority and a focus for the organisation. We were successful in Macau and that’s fine but our ambitions are mainland China.
Carr would offer in that same interview that the UFC intended to sign one of China’s biggest MMA stars, and that there would be additional signings at the developmental level in future. It appears Guan is that star.
UFC Signapore marks the promotion’s first visit to the Asian market since UFC Fight Night 79 in Seoul, South Korea back in 2015.
