Fighters on the Rise | UFC Shanghai

Saturday’s return to Shanghai Indoor Stadium is another reminder of how much of a global sport mixed martial arts is and that the breadth of nations that producing UFC-caliber talents continues to expand year-after-year.

The card features athletes from 10 different countries, including seven from both the host nation and the United States, along with a couple Brazilians, and individual representatives from Russia, the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and South Korea.

What further drives the point home about the international elevation of the sport is that this week’s trio of ascending talents that merit your close attention on Saturday do not come from countries that…