UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Weili Zhang, Li Jingliang and Xiaonan Yan all have bouts coming up within the next few weeks.
The coronavirus has been wreaking havoc across the country of China, as more than 10,000 people have been affected by the virus and another 258 people have died due to the virus according to CNN.
That is why the aforementioned three fighters have left China ahead of their respective UFC bouts to travel to Thailand for a two week stay. It is required that anybody leaving China have a two week incubation period, or a self quarantine.
“It’s the quarantine because of the virus,” Weili’s jiu-jitsu coach Pedro Jordao explained to MMA Fighting. “You can’t enter America otherwise.”
Yan is going to be the first of the three Chinese fighters to compete, as she faces Karolina Kowalkiewicz at UFC Fight Night Auckland on February 23. Zhang and Jingliang will both compete at UFC 248 next month, with Zhang facing Joanna Jedrzejczk and Jingliang fighting Neil Magny.
There is no word yet on whether or not any other China-based fighters plan on leaving the country early to deal with the coronavirus outbreak before stepping into the Octagon.
