Shi Ming’s story grips China. By day, he treats patients as a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. By night, he sharpens kicks and takedowns for the world’s biggest MMA stage. Ahead of his Shi Ming UFC debut, he described how he must “brainwash” himself to switch from healer to striker and overcome his instinct not to harm.
“I do hold back a little,” the 30-year-old said, reflecting on past bouts where restraint nearly cost him the result, according to an AFP interview.
Fans Roar at Shi Ming UFC Debut
On Friday, thousands packed a Shanghai arena and erupted with every clean strike. They chanted “Go Dr Shi!” as the newcomer bowed after a decision loss to Brazil’s Bruna Brasil. The ovation told its own story: the Shi Ming UFC debut showcased a crowd favourite whose rise began with a viral, contract-securing head kick last year that thrust him into the spotlight.
Training after hospital shifts
Shi Ming still works full-time in Kunming, Yunnan. He starts at the hospital—consultations, prescriptions, acupuncture—then heads to a local wrestling club for hours of training alongside amateurs. Shi learned taekwondo and sanda as a child and only embraced MMA as a young adult. Despite being near-sighted and shorter than many opponents, he says he pushes through pressure and expectations.
“People used to assume I would lose,” Shi admitted.
‘Never in One Basket’
For now, the doctor won’t quit medicine. The steady income funds coaching and camps, and the work roots his in family tradition—both grandparents were doctors. Shi even treats his own knocks with acupuncture.
“I never put all my eggs in one basket,” Shi said.
If results come, she may tilt further toward MMA. After the Friday loss, Shi feared he had let supporters down. Yet online, fans praised how far his part-time path had already taken him—another reminder that the Shi Ming UFC debut is a beginning, not an endpoint.
