Three more bouts are now official for the “The Ultimate Fighter: China” finale event in Macau, including the conclusion of the 170-lbs and 145-lbs tournaments for the season.
TUF: China Finale takes place March 1st at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China. The entire event streams LIVE on the UFC’s fight pass.
TUF: China Finale adds Vaughan Lee vs Nam Phan and tournament finals
With the inclusion of a Bantamweight bout between UFC vets Nam Phan (18-12) and Vaughan Lee (13-9-1), Wang Sai (6-4-1) locks horns with Zheng Li Peng (6-7-1) in the Welterweight tourney finals, while Ning Guang You (3-2-1) collides with Yang Jiang Ping (6-3-1) in the Featherweight tourney final bracket.
UFC officials announced the match-ups on Thursday.
The Ultimate Fighter China was a 12-episode reality TV series where the best Chinese mixed martial artists in the world gathered in Shenyang, Liaoning, to live, train and compete with each other to win a six-figure contract with the UFC.
The UFC’s first Chinese fighter Zhang Tie Quan (15-4), and China’s MMA legend Ao Hai Lin (8-0) served as the coaches for the season, with former Strikeforce champ Cung Le overseeing proceedings in a “Dana White role”.
In the end, Sai, Peng, You and Ping, all experienced fighters in their own right with well over forty professional fights between them, altogether, were the ones that made it to the finale.
Sai, 28, is on a 3-2 run with his most recent victory coming under the PXC banner at PXC 34, where he scored a first round TKO victory over Glen Ranillo. All six of his victories have ended via stoppage.
Peng, 23, is the youngest yet most experienced of the finalists, with fourteen fights to his credit. He’s had mixed success on the Chinese MMA circuit, most notably in his stints with RUFF, Art of War and Real Fight MMA Championship among others.
After a three year hiatus and a two-fight losing streak on the regional circuit, You found himself in the win column once again with a win over Jiang Zhou Wen at RUFF 9. With a background in wrestling, the 32-year-old has developed a “never say die” attitude in recent years as evident in his scraps with veterans like A Sol Kwon and Kyung Ho Kang.
Ping, 28, has been competing as a professional since 2006, where he first made a name for himself in Art of War. While the Chinese fighter also plies his trade in the modelling industry, fight fans will be accustomed to his all-round MMA facet rather than his good looks come fight night.
Phan (pictured) is probably fighting for his job having lost two straight fights – three out of his last five. A competitor on Season 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter”, the 30-year-old hasn’t quite found his stride in the octagon having experienced mixed success thus far.
Submission ace, Lee, returns after going 1-1 in 2013, where he scored a decision victory over Motonobu Tezuka before falling short to Raphael Assuncao. The 31-year-old is 2-3 in his UFC career.
With those additions, the latest TUF: China Finale now includes:
- – John Hathaway vs. Dong Hyun Kim
- – Zhang Li Peng vs. Wang Sai (TUF: China Welterweight Tournament final)
- – Yang Jian Ping vs. Ning Guang You (TUF: China Featherweight Tournament final)
- – Shawn Jordan vs. Matt Mitrione
- – Hatsu Hioki vs. Ivan Menjivar
- – Vaughan Lee vs. Nam Phan
- – Nam Yui Chul vs. Kazuki Tokudome
Photos credit: Ultimate Fighting Championship, MMA-in-Asia
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