Il Nuovo Postiglione - Song Yadong looks to become China's first male UFC champion after home victory

On home turf, Song's second-round knockout against Russian fighter Umar Nurmagomedov last week put him third in UFC Bantamweight rankings.

"I was actually really shocked," the 28-year-old told AFP at China's UFC Performance Institute.

"In the arena, the sound of the cheering was really loud. But that was probably the happiest moment of my life."

Song said he was "just a kid" with a dream of making it in the UFC when he debuted in Shanghai in 2017.

"When I suddenly made it there, I realised it was full of top-tier fighters. If I wanted to stay there, I knew I'd have to train constantly to improve myself," he said.

Nine years later, Song knocked out Nurmagomedov in the bantamweight category in Pudong's Oriental Sports Center.

Song, who gave himself the nickname "Kung Fu Kid", first became fascinated with UFC as a teenager watching highlight reels of the sport online.

He references his roots in his entrance music, which is the theme song for "Journey to the West", a popular Chinese TV show based on a Ming-era story.

As a child, Song said, he would turn on the TV and play the theme song on repeat.

The music in the show played when Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, jumped out.

"I felt like I was just like him, the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, and I wanted my entrance to be just like his," Song said.

UFC continues to build its audience in Asia, and this summer's Fight Night in Shanghai saw a record crowd for the region, with over 16,000 fans in attendance.

Zhang Weili, a female UFC fighter, became the face of the sport in China after winning the belt twice.

Song said his victory last week was just a stepping stone.

"This isn't the end," he said as he aims to become the World Champion in his weight class.

"I believe I'm very close to making it a reality."

F.Ciambrone--INP