On this episode of the podcast I’m joined by retired professional MMA fighter Vaughn “Blud” Anderson, who now works as a match maker for Legend FC, about China’s rising prospects in the global MMA world. When Brazilian UFC champion Jessica Andrade makes her first title defense on August 31st against Zhang Weili in Shenzhen, it will be the first opportunity that a Chinese MMA fighter has ever had at UFC gold. Vaughn, knowing Zhang personally and having trained with her, is confident of her victory.
Vaughn also just competed and won a gold medal at a Chengdu Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament this week in Chengdu, where Jerry and his CDBJJ athletes won many gold medals also.
Topics Discussed

*
Vaughn’s 15+ year history training and living in China

* The “Enbo Fight Club” which Vaughn coached at on the outskirts of Chengdu, covered by Vice and others
* MMA gyms and training across China
* UFC’s newly opened state of the art “Performance Institute” in Shanghai, only the second in the world, which Vaughn recently visited
* Life after retirement from professional MMA competition
* MMA’s “boom” period of investment from 2017-2018
* The imminent opening of Vaughn’s combat sport gym in Chongqing

Links

* China’s MMA Club for Poor and Orphaned Boys by Vice
* UFC Performance Institute Shanghai: take a look inside the world’s largest MMA training facility

Images of the UFC Shanghai Performance Institute



Download & Stream Links
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