We remember it wasn’t too long ago that Japanese Karate (derived from the mixture of Chinese Fujian White Crane Fist Kung Fu and Ryukyuan Okinawa Martial Arts) was considered a joke until then-undefeated UFC Light Heavyweight fighter Lyoto Machida knocked out then-champion Rashad Evans to win the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship and made Karate into a serious martial art again. A Blueprint: Karate's Resurgence Came First Zabit Magomedsharipov, a Shaolin Kung Fu, Sanda / Sanshou, and Wushu Kung Fu practitioner, is unbeaten in the UFC and quickly rising up the UFC featherweight rankings.īut what about Xu Xiao Dong, a retired MMA fighter in China famous for exposing fake snake-oil Kung Fu 'masters' by beating him down with his MMA techniques who threatens to derail Kung Fu legitimacy forever?Ĭan the success of these fighters really be attributed to their Kung Fu training or backgrounds? Dynasty investigates. He was the interim UFC Lightweight Champion and he will get another chance to become the undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion when he takes on Khabib Nurmagomedov this April in 2020. Tony Ferguson has made it known publicly on social media that he trains Wing Chun Kung Fu, a southern Chinese / Cantonese style of close range Kung Fu made famous by Bruce Lee and Ip Man. Having the record of most consecutive wins in UFC lightweight history (with 12), Ferguson is widely regarded by pundits as one of the best lightweights in the history of the UFC. With a nation of 1.4 billion strong behind her, she is a one-woman-army in leading the wave of interest back into Chinese Martial Arts. UFC Women's Strawweight Fighter Zhang Weili has become UFC's first Asian-born / Chinese Champion by knocking out Jessica Andrade in the first minute of the first round back at UFC Fight Night on August 31, 2019.

We also give a refreshed outlook on Chinese Martial Arts in the combat sports landscape as it stands today in 2020. We take a look at some of the most prominent combat sports athletes and fighters that are doing their part in #MakingKungFuGreatAgain #MKFGA.

In recent years, the combat sports landscape has started to feel the influences of Chinese Kung Fu.īut is it just a ripple, or will it become a wave? Zhang Weili, Tony Ferguson, Zabit Magomedsharipov, Xu Xiao Dong Kung Fu Is Back?!

Kung fu fighter #2