Jumabieke trains at Xian Sports University. | Photo: Liu Xiao Ming
Two of Asia’s top 135-pound talents, Honggang Yao and Tuerxun Jumabieke, clash for the second time this Saturday at Legend Fighting Championship 7. Sanda standout Jumabieke boasts a perfect record in MMA and won the pair’s first meeting in 2009. Yao, a shuaijiao (Chinese wrestling) stylist, has since gone 5-1, capturing the Legend bantamweight title along the way.
This is my first blog in preparation for my upcoming fight at Legend 7 in Macau. Training has been really great these past few weeks and I’m really excited to win the title for Legend. I am confident that I will put on a good show and bring the title back to Xian Sports University, where I train.
Our head coach at Xian, Zhao Xiaojun, has helped us to find cross-training with a new BJJ gym, Black Belt Gym, under black belt Cauan Moreno Cardoso. We’ve been working very intensely on our BJJ in preparation for this fight. Training every day with my teammates and such a high level jiu-jitsu master is very challenging, but I know it will help me defeat my opponent Yao! In fact, this is the second time we have had to face each other in the ring. In 2009, we had our first match, Yao’s debut, which I won. I know that Yao really wants to avenge this, but unfortunately for him, I’m looking to take his title.
This will be my first time fighting in Legend and I am really excited. I know they will broadcast this fight all over the world and live in China on major websites QQ, SINA, PPLive, QiYi and Youku.com. Now all my friends and fans can see me live, and I can hopefully make some new foreign friends and fans!
My prediction: KO in the first round!
- Juma
Legend FC 7 airs on pay-per-view Saturday at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. The undercard streams live and free on YouTube Saturday at 3:30 a.m. ET/12:30 a.m. PT.