Ultimate Fighting Championship announces Asia expansion, signs fighter from Inner Mongolia

UFC announces Asia expansion, signs China fighter

BEIJING — The Ultimate Fighting Championship says it’s expanding its brand to Asia and has signed a fighter from China as part of the plans to establish its presence in the world’s most populous region.

The company announced Sunday that former NBA Asia executive Mark Fischer will head the UFC’s new regional office.

The UFC says it has signed a fighter from China’s Inner Mongolia region as part of its strategy for attracting new fans in Asia. Tiequan Zhang is expected to debut next month as a lightweight in World Extreme Cagefighting, a sister organization of UFC that features smaller fighters.

Fischer said UFC’s Asia expansion is in its early stages but the company is focusing on China as a long-term market.