Chinese female doctor hides MMA career from family

Shi, who faced Feng in the final of the Road to UFC event at Galaxy Arena in Macau on Nov. 23, was considered the underdog going into the fight. But in a surprising turn, she secured a knockout victory just 46 seconds into the match. After delivering a high kick to Feng’s chin, Shi quickly followed up with three strikes to the face, knocking Feng unconscious. The referee intervened, and Feng was carried out on a stretcher after lying unconscious for several minutes.

The victory earned Shi the Road to UFC Season 3 strawweight title, as well as a contract to compete in the world’s leading MMA promotion UFC. Shi also won Performance of the Night and got a $50,000 bonus.

Shi’s primary job is as a physical therapist in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. The 30-year-old fighter admitted that, as a doctor, she often struggles with the violent nature of the sport.

“That’s my biggest weakness: I have too much mercy,” she said in a post-fight interview. “I’m not aggressive enough. It’s really difficult for me to hurt my opponent, especially when she trained so hard and is so young. It’s really sad to see her lie there for more than 10 minutes. I hope she recovers soon.”

Following the win, it may become more difficult for Shi to keep hiding her MMA career from her parents.

Shi revealed that her family didn’t know that she was competing in pro MMA. They believe she participates in traditional martial arts competitions solely for health benefits. Now with a UFC contract, Shi fears the truth may soon come out, especially given the brutal nature of the sport she’s entering.

“I don’t think I’m going to mention it to them,” Shi said. “For my parents, they are traditional Chinese parents, and they worry about me. Only a doctor or a lawyer, I don’t have other choices. So, I’m going to fight UFC, but maybe every time I will go back home after I recover.”

Shi has competed in 22 professional MMA fights, with 17 wins and 5 losses. She is a regular in two of Asia’s biggest MMA promotions: China’s Wu Lin Feng and South Korea’s Road FC.

The doctor hid his MMA fight from his family and won a UFC contract