Former ONE Champion Jingnan Xiong Set for Long-Awaited UFC Debut at UFC Macau
After years of dominating one of Asia’s biggest mixed martial arts promotions, Jingnan Xiong is finally stepping onto MMA’s biggest stage at UFC Macau.
The former ONE Championship strawweight queen will make her UFC debut this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Song vs. Figueiredo inside Galaxy Arena in Macau, where she is scheduled to face veteran contender Angela Hill in a featured strawweight bout.
For longtime MMA fans across Asia, Xiong’s arrival in the UFC feels overdue.
Known as “The Panda,” the 38-year-old Chinese striker built a reputation as one of the most accomplished female fighters outside the UFC during her run in ONE Championship. Xiong became the promotion’s inaugural women’s strawweight champion in 2018 and went on to defend the title seven times, cementing herself as one of the most successful Chinese fighters in MMA history.
Her trilogy with former atomweight champion Angela Lee helped define women’s MMA in Asia, particularly after Xiong handed Lee her first professional loss in 2018.
Now, after ONE Championship shut down its women’s strawweight division earlier this year, Xiong signed with the UFC and quickly landed a matchup against the battle-tested Hill.
“My debut will take place on May 30 in Macau,” Xiong wrote when announcing the signing in April. “It’s an opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the sport and continue building my legacy.”
The matchup immediately became one of the most intriguing fights on the UFC Macau card.
Hill, ranked inside the UFC’s top 15 at strawweight, enters the fight with nearly 30 appearances inside the Octagon and a reputation for high-paced striking and durability. Xiong, meanwhile, brings a 19-2 professional record and years of championship experience, though questions remain about how her game will translate against elite UFC competition after spending most of her career outside the promotion.
Analysts have already identified Xiong as one of the most dangerous newcomers on the roster. In previews ahead of the event, several observers pointed to her power, composure and championship pedigree as potential problems for Hill.
The timing of the debut also carries broader significance for the UFC, which has continued expanding its footprint in mainland China and Macau. Saturday’s event is headlined by a bantamweight clash between Song Yadong and former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, while several Chinese prospects are also featured throughout the card.
For Xiong, however, the spotlight will be uniquely personal.
She enters the Octagon as a pioneer for Chinese women’s MMA — already a champion elsewhere, but still something of an unknown to UFC audiences in North America. A strong performance against a respected veteran like Hill could immediately position her as a legitimate contender in the UFC’s 115-pound division.
And after nearly a decade spent proving herself across Asia, Xiong now gets the chance to show she belongs among the best fighters in the world.
