Training expertise

Lyu Kai, a judo specialist and one of nine Chinese taking part in the Road to UFC talent selection program, said the training expertise at the Shanghai institute, which includes tailor-made plans to cater to each fighter's style, makes the facility unique.

"The biggest difference here is the abundant resources provided for each athlete, and the variety of courses compared to traditional training centers," said Lyu, who started judo training when he was 12 at a State-run junior sports school in Changning district, Shanghai.

"If you are looking for real combat skills from actual experiences in the Octagon, and want to know how to excel in MMA as a pro, then you are in the right place," he added.

Lyu's hard work in training at the Shanghai institute paid off in the first round at the Road to UFC tournament in Singapore on June 10, when he beat Indonesian opponent Angga Hans by a TKO in the second round to advance in the featherweight group.

The Road to UFC tournament was launched in Singapore before UFC 275 for all talented young fighters in four weight classes－flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and light heavyweight－to compete for UFC contract offers in their respective divisions.

With a devastating knockout win over George "Tuco" Tokkos of England in his tournament opener, China's light heavyweight underdog Zhang Mingyang has already secured a UFC contract, while three other Chinese fighters have advanced to the next rounds.

Chang expects the talent system to help MMA find its own Yao Ming to emulate the legendary basketball star's impact on popularizing the NBA in China.

"When you have a locally relevant fighter, that's really going to increase engagement, interest, viewership－everything, every metric. In a sense, it's the Yao Ming effect," Chang said in Singapore last week.

"That's why we've made investments in the region to develop talent. That's why we've developed this pathway so that these fighters have a really clear idea of how to get in and how to go. It's of utmost importance for us."