By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Senior Reporter

THE mixed martial arts scene in Asia is to be given further nod when the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world’s biggest promotion in the world, makes its debut in mainland China this weekend with “UFC Fight Night 122” that will feature the clash between former middleweight champion Michael “The Count” Bisping and Kelvin Gastelum.

Happening at the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai, China, on Saturday, Fight Night 122 is being considered advancement in the UFC’s thrust in the region that has seen it play in a growing number of Asian countries, including the Philippines, in the last few years.

UFC officials said they are very excited of the opportunity to hold an event in the mainland, a market they always viewed as key to continue to grow not only their brand but also the sport of MMA in general.

The Shanghai event will have 12 fights on the card, headlined by the battle between Mr. Bisping (#2) of England and Mr. Gastelum (#9) of the United States. It will also have eight Chinese fighters competing in various divisions.

Featured as well is Filipino featherweight Rolando “Dy Incredible” Dy, who will face off with hometown bet Wuliji “Beast Master” Buren in one of the preliminary fights.

Originally to be bannered by UFC legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva and Mr. Gastelum, Fight Night 122 was tweaked after the former was ruled a no-go late last month because of failure to pass US Anti-Doping Agency testing.

In came Mr. Bisping, who expressed readiness to take over Mr. Silva’s place despite fighting just early this month where he lost the middleweight title to the comebacking UFC legend Georges St-Pierre.

Mr. Bisping (31-8) went down in his last fight by way of technical submission (rear-naked choke) in the third round.

The loss effectively stopped the reign of Mr. Bisping as champion after just a little over a year on top of the division and ended a five-fight winning streak in the UFC.

He hopes to bounce back by beating the number nine contender in the weight class in Mr. Gastelum.

Mr. Gastelum (14-3), for his part, is also looking to get back on the winning track after being tripped by former champion Chris Weidman in July by submission (arm-triangle choke) in the third round.

BENEFICIAL
Considering the kind of potential the Chinese market presents across varying levels, local combat sports writer and observer Mike Miguel believes the Shanghai event is huge for the UFC.

“The potential in the Chinese market is vast, not only financially but also in the martial arts aspect. China has the makings of becoming an MMA superpower in the region with its resources which has been recognized by the UFC in the past,” said Mr. Miguel, who writes for DojoDrifter.com and Tiebreaker Times, in an interview with BusinessWorld.

“Now staging its first event, this helps in cultivating the people’s interest in the sport even further which will be beneficial for both the UFC and China in the long run,” he added.

He went on to stay that Mr. Bisping stepping in after Mr. Silva was ruled out was an important development as it gave the event another big name to anchor on.

“When Anderson Silva was removed from the card, it cast doubts on the success of the event especially among fans outside China. Enter Bisping, who is out to make the most of his remaining time inside the Octagon. We can expect the former champion to come out and show everyone that he is still among the best fighters in his division against the ever-dangerous Gastelum,” he said.

As to Mr. Dy, who has lost his first two fights in the UFC, Mr. Miguel believes if the Filipino comes in with a well-thought-out game plan and capitalize on his strengths he could be poise for a breakthrough win.

“On paper, this is perhaps the easiest matchup for Dy. However, the cards aren’t in his favor as he is fighting in two weeks’ notice against the hometown fighter, Wuliji Buren. If he would be able to impose his will and capitalize on his striking against the Chinese, we can see him fight another day in the UFC,” he said.

UFC Fight Night 122: Bisping vs. Gastelum will be shown live on Saturday beginning at 8 p.m. over Hyper Ch. 91 in SD or 261 in HD on Cignal TV. Encore telecast is at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. the following day.

In the Philippines, Cignal TV, the country’s foremost direct-to-home (DTH) company, is the home of the UFC after the two groups agreed to an extensive deal that will see the UFC beamed on various platforms.

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