Soft-spoken traditional Chinese medicine practitioner steals show at MMA bout in Macao

Getting knocked out in a mixed martial arts (MMA) bout, yet waking up at the hospital realizing it was a doctor that just put you in coma — all quite possible for anyone who squares up against Shi Ming in the ring.

Shi, a full-time traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioner, stole the show at the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s return to Macao by delivering a sensational knockout win to earn a contract with the Las Vegas-based organization — at the same time revealing her Octagon alter-ego, which was not even known by many of her closest friends.

The genial and softly-spoken “Doctor Shi”, despite entering the tournament as an unlikely contender to win it all, turned out to be the surprise of the year after she won the “Road to UFC” finale in Macao on Nov 23, earning her a place among the promotion’s competitive strawweight division, which is currently ruled by fellow Chinese fighter Zhang Weili.

Shi did it in ferocious style, which some might consider to be at odds with her day job — relaxing muscles and soothing pains as an acupuncturist at a Kunming-based hospital.

Outsized by her final opponent, compatriot Feng Xiaocan, Shi wowed the capacity crowd at the Galaxy Arena when she caught Feng off guard early in the third round with a vicious head kick that knocked her opponent clean out. She secured her KO win by raining another four blows on her stricken opponent, before being pulled away by the referee with four minutes and 14 seconds left.

Each division winner of the RTU talent selection program, introduced to China in 2022, automatically earns a professional contract from the UFC.

The Macao crowd went nuts following the spectacular finish, as Shi walked to the edge of the Octagon full of composure, soaking up a potentially life-changing moment at the UFC’s first live event in China in five years.

“Oh my god! What a finish! I feel like my scalp tingles and I have goose bumps on my arm,” strawweight queen Zhang said of Shi’s thrilling KO, as she watched on at the arena.

Joining the audience for the jaw-dropping bout in Macao were Shi’s parents, who had no idea about the whereabouts of their daughter over the weekend, nor what, exactly, she does every day in the gym after finishing her six-hour shift at the hospital.

But now, everyone knows, as video clips of Shi’s brutal high kick, as well as her intriguing background, have gone viral on social media both in China and the United States.

“I haven’t told my parents yet that I came to compete in an MMA event in Macao,” said Shi, a 30-year-old native of Heilongjiang province.

“Probably, I will only meet them and tell them more about this after the bruises on my face get better.

“Now everyone knows me, and they will see me more often in the Octagon.”

As surprised as the crowd appeared, Shi stayed quite calm after the Fight Night Macao, insisting that knocking the door open to the UFC had long been a goal for her and her team.

The confidence comes from her six-year, nonstop training at the high-altitude fight club — Kunming is located about 2,000 meters above sea level — guided by her experienced trainer Bagher Amanolahi.

“I am happy, but I am not surprised,” Shi said.

“Every time I show up, I am the underdog. But for me and my team, we knew that I would be the champion when I got selected by RTU, because I trained very hard, and my coach Bagher gave me the right strategy. My team knows how good I am.”

Shi began taekwondo training at 13 in Kunming, drawn by the cool dobok (taekwondo training uniform) and head kicks. She first tried her hand at MMA training while studying TCM in college, and has since grown obsessed with the deep and versatile essence of the combat sport.

“She looks as normal as any cute and quiet little girl in life, but when she steps into the ring she becomes the aggressive fighter we know. She already has quite an impressive striking style and great fitness,” said Zhu Jinqiu, the owner of the club where Shi trains.

Now that she has made her presence felt in the premier promotion, Shi said she will focus more on her foray into the Octagon to realize her dream of a world championship, putting her budding clinical career on hold.

Her next goal is to emulate world titleholder Zhang.

“A lot of friends worry about me in the Octagon, because I am small, even for this division, and I have bad eyesight,” said Shi, who has to wear glasses when she is not fighting.

“But in the Octagon I am the boss. I decide how the match is going to go and how the fight is going to be.

“I am going to develop my punches, my takedown, ground control and escape. This time is my evolution from a contender to champion (with RTU); the next goal for me is to become a legend like Weili.”

In a later co-main event on the Fight Night card in Macao, another Chinese strawweight contender Yan Xiaonan beat Tabatha Ricci via unanimous decision to relaunch her bid for a title challenge against Zhang. Yan called out to her fellow titleholder, saying she is ready for a rematch “anytime, anywhere” against Zhang, who defeated Yan to keep her belt in their first meeting at UFC300 in April.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn