After an action-packed Road to UFC final last Saturday, Chinese bantamweight Xiao Long (26-9) has signed a five-fight contract with the UFC. The promotion announced the news on Chinese social media. The product of the UFC PI in Shanghai most recently fought to a split decision defeat last Saturday at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov.
Xiao has been tested numerous times by the UFC by now. After joining the UFC Academy in Shanghai, he’s fought on Dana White’s Contender Series and Road to UFC. After his decision defeat to Cristian Quinonez on the Contender Series, he won two straight fights in Chinese promotion WLF, picking up the promotion's bantamweight championship.
In Road to UFC, he picked up wins over Japanese prospects Shohei Nose and Shuya Kamikubo. These wins led to a meeting with season two bantamweight finalist Lee Chang Ho at UFC Saudi Arabia last weekend. The fight saw both finalists battle tooth-and-nail over three rounds, each round with numerous moments of meaningful offense for each fighter. However, it was likely the submission attempts and Muay Thai knees of Lee that awarded him the decision.
While it was Lee that won the split decision, the UFC matchmakers were impressed with Xiao’s style of fight and rapid progression of his skills since his Contender Series appearance. Xiao has been circling around big opportunities for the past three years and only narrowly letting them pass through his fingers. The UFC brass seems to have seen enough, however.
A debut date or opponent for the 26 year old was not announced by the UFC.