Posted on 11/24/2018 3:23:01 PM PST by Eddie01
Song Yadong was so obsessed with Chinese martial arts that he convinced him mother to pack him up and send him off to learn at the feet of the famous kung fu masters of Shaolin.
He was just 9 years old at the time.
"I had watched a lot of kung fu movies, so I wanted to be like my heroes, like Jet Li," said Song. "I went to Shaolin and I trained, getting up each day at 5am. It was harder than I ever expected."
A decade later and Song's thirst for action has led him into the ranks of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and on to the biggest stage in mixed martial arts.
"I left Shaolin after two years and then I learned about MMA," said the 20-year-old. "I like the action, I like the fact every fight tests you and that you always have to work to be the best fighter you can be."
Song is at the forefront of the Las Vegas-based promotion's push into China, the country many consider the spiritual home of all martial arts, and the Tianjin-born fighter is among nine locals set to take part in the UFC's first fight card to be held in the Chinese capital.
Saturday night sees the UFC Fight Night 141 event at Beijing's Cadillac Arena, headlined by a blockbuster bout between heavyweight contenders in Cameroonian-Frenchman Francis "The Predator" Ngannou (11-3) and American Curtis "Razor" Blaydes.
But there's little doubt where Chinese fans' attention — and hopes — will rest.
"It will be the biggest chance for us Chinese fighters and for the sport to grow in China," said Song, who will face American Vince "Vandetta" Morales on Saturday night.
Fake ID
Song's rise to the UFC has captured China's attention, as has the origin story he carries with him.
When he was 15, Song was so focused on becoming a professional MMA fighter that he used a forged ID card to convince local promotions that he was 18, and legally allowed to fight.
"I was super-aggressive back then," said Song. "I just wanted to fight so I used the fake ID. I looked strong enough so they believed me."
After plying his trade in domestic and regional fight promotions — and racking up a fight record of 10 wins and three losses — Song received a surprise call last November, just weeks before the UFC was set to make its debut in mainland China.
Called in to replace an injured fighter on the UFC Fight Night 122 card, Song needed just over four minutes to choke out India's Bharat Khandare. He's since backed up that performance with a second-round knockout of the Brazilian veteran Filipe Arantes in Singapore in June, and so comes to Beijing on a 2-0 run and with a 12-3 win-loss record overall.
"There is still a lot of room for improvement in my skills," said Song. "I am focused on winning step by step, fight by fight. I have been training with (UFC Hall of Famer) Urijah Faber and his Team Alpha Male in California and I am learning.
"Chinese fighters need more experience but soon we will be a force."
The UFC currently has 11 Chinese fighters on its books, a mix of established stars such as the veteran welterweight Li "The Leech" Jingliang and rising stars such as Song and female strawweight Zhang Weili, with all three in action on Saturday.
This week the organization announced an investment of around US$13 million in what it called the world's biggest MMA academy in Shanghai, designed to help Chinese fighters make the transition from smaller fight promotions to the UFC octagon.
Song has recently replaced "The Terminator" as his fight name with "The Monkey King," in reference to the mythical Chinese hero Sun Wukong.
He believes China's rich history in martial arts has the country — and its fighters — well positioned as MMA continues to take hold.
"We have the history in China," said Song. "This is only the beginning."
Interesting.
a real grasshopper
I just want to know if he has flashbacks....
I have been to the Shaolin temple in China. It was the birthplace of Kung Fu, and therefore gets mentioned in martial arts movies a lot. Today, its more like a Disney version of itself. There are martial arts academies all over nearby, training hundreds of kids at a time in the fields outside the monastery.
Yep, interesting. But, just as in any fighting discipline there are excellent practitioners and the not so excellent.
Probably no flash backs. He was 9 when he started and left after two years. I don’t know the minimum time for flashbacks but I think you have to go through puberty 1st. A couple years without girls at that time in your life creates flashbacks. Thats my theory. Course, what do I know I’m not a Shoulin priest or anything
I know Mad Magazine covered this issue many, many years back.
But can he snatch the pebble from my hand?
Monkey king? That’s nothing. The ladies used to call me Elephant King because of the considerable size of my... Republican credentials.
What did you think I was going to say?
This guys is faster than greased lightening.
Let’s see him fight a ranked UFC Muay Thai striker.
Monkey King,,,
T shirt sales will be Awesome!
You know the old question of 'if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound'? Master Poe says that it does not. And thus, as far as I am concerned, the question has been definitively answered.
He must have, at some time. It was time for him to go....
“a real grasshopper”
When you can find the missing ballots, it will be time for you to leave..
Interesting but recipe for disaster. King Fu is not an art that translates well to MMA, unless blended with some other striking/jiu jitsu disciplines.
I missed his fight last week but he won by UD.
them ore important question is “If a man says something, and there is no woman there to hear him, is he correct?”
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