I had a blast watching UFC Shanghai yesterday. I noticed that many of the fighters that represented China are of ethnic minorities, like Tibetans, Mongolians, I believe there was a fighter of Kazakh ethnicity too. I find this to be an interesting observation. Even those with seemingly Han Chinese names at times come from these regions, such as Li Jing Liang.
I wonder if, culturally, combat sports are more popular in those regions. To some extent, it makes sense as wrestling is a big part of central Asian culture. I have also noticed that a large percentage of these fighters, including Han Chinese fighters, come from the North.
I'm Chinese diaspora, of southern Han Chinese descent, so I'm somewhat familiar with Chinese culture, but also quite unfamiliar with the culture of ethnic minorities in China. I'm hoping some Chinese MMA fans can chip in their views.
Edit: I read u/wandsouj 's post from some months ago and if you're seeing this, I hope you can contribute your views too.