SINGAPORE – The mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter in China who beat up and defeated a tai chi master is not representative of the sport, according to professional MMA artist Wang Guan.

Wang, who signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in February, also feels that Xu Xiaodong, whose defeat of Wei Lei in 10 seconds was filmed and went viral two weeks ago, was disrespectful to traditional martial arts.

A trained kung fu free-combat sportsman who taught himself MMA, Xu had claimed that the traditional Chinese arts are outdated and only good for keeping in shape, and were not practical for combat.

But featherweight fighter Wang, who turned professional in 2006 and holds an overall 15-1-1 record, dismissed Xu’s credentials.

“I don’t see the problem when one martial art challenges another as it is normal,” the 31-year-old told Singapore reporters in a conference call on Thursday (May 11) afternoon, ahead of his debut fight here in June 17.

“The problem is when you are talking and disrespecting (others) by saying many bad words. Disrespecting the whole martial arts culture is not acceptable.

“We cannot say that Xiaodong represents the whole MMA culture (in China), (just like how) Wei Lei also cannot represent the whole tai chi community. It (the incident) is more of people making the news and situation bigger than it is, because it’s (really) more (a matter) of two individuals challenging each other.”

EDUCATION NEEDED

Xu, 38, has since issued an open challenge to all tai chi masters to take him on, which prompted Chinese tycoon Chen Sheng, the founder of non-alcoholic drinks firm Tiandi No. 1 Beverage, to offer 10 million yuan (S$2 million) to anyone who can defeat Xu.

Alibaba founder Jack Ma also weighed in on the debate, noting that the duel was meaningless as both sports are governed by different principles.

“A street fight (like this one) can’t settle any debate (of which is better),” Ma said on his Weibo account.

“Comparing the striking techniques of MMA and tai chi… their rules are different… This is like comparing ducks and chickens.”

As such, Wang pointed out that the older generation who practise traditional fighting techniques should be educated on modern techniques like MMA, which could have been given a bad name due to Xu’s comments.

“For sure, the older exponents who practice traditional martial arts, they will have some bad misconceptions about MMA (after this incident),” he said, speaking through his translator and manager Jia Li.

“But it also means the education of them has not been enough and they don’t know a lot about MMA, because Xu Xiaodong cannot represent MMA, he’s not a professional artist; he’s just representing himself more.

SINGAPORE DEBUT

Wang added that he has not been treated differently by those around him despite the incident.

“Some even said that if Xu fights me, I will ‘kill’ him,” he said.

But “The Dongbei Tiger”, as he is known, has more immediate priorities. The Beijing native has been hard at work preparing for his maiden UFC bout against Alex Caceres on June 17 at UFC Fight Night: Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Wang, who fought primarily in the now-defunct China-based Ranik Ultimate Fighting Federation previously, was delighted at being signed by the world’s leading MMA promotion and has been motivated to prove his worth.

“I am very excited to be in the UFC,” said Wang, who has trained out of EnBo Fight Club in Chengdu for the past two months.

“I am training very hard, twice a day, and I feel tired every day. But I want to win and show my best (performance).

“My training is more serious (now), with foreign coaches and sparring partners from Russia and other regions, who are imparting new techniques I can use inside the cage.

“There’s definitely pressure, but I am also excited because this is my first match… I am confident I can show up and win the fight.”

MMA RISE IN CHINA

Compatriot, Li Jingliang, the other Chinese fighter on the Singapore card, said in an interview earlier this week that having an MMA champion from China would boost the sport immensely back home. Wang agreed, but believes that it won’t happen anytime soon.

“In the past two years, MMA’s popularity in China has risen swiftly,” he said.

“If you see how many new events in China come up every day, you will understand that MMA is growing really fast in China… and people have started to understand more about UFC (as well).

“But if you talk about producing a champion, it will take five more years at least because it’s a new sport, and needs more qualified gyms and proper trainers, as well as new techniques and ideas; (China’s MMA fighters) still need more time to become really solid.”

Wang, who started off with traditional martial arts like Sanda before falling in love with MMA, acknowledged that many of his predecessors – apart from Li – have not made a success of themselves with UFC, but is confident he can buck the trend.

“In China, in my weight division, I’ve faced a lot of serious fighters and got some huge wins,” he said.

“And with my experience that has come with age, I am (also) more mature in my mind and heart, so that’s going to be a big difference.

“My own dream is to fight the toughest opponent (out there), so I want to train hard and make myself stronger to face (whoever is) the champion.”

*UFC Fight Night: Singapore takes place on June 17, For more information, go to http://www.ufc.com/event/ufc-fight-night-singapore-2017?id=