Ronda Rousey On Tap to Help Spearhead UFC Move into Southeast Asia

The UFC is bringing out the big guns for next week’s card in Macau with arguably the biggest star on the roster right now, Ronda Rousey, flying into Hong Kong for a media day ahead of the Aug. 23event.

The card for UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Le is of a significantly higher caliber than the organization’s last show in Macau and Dana White, who tends not to travel to Fight Night cards in Asia, will be cageside.

Ahead of the event, set for the Cotai Arena inside the Venetian Resort, there will be a media day in nearby Hong Kong on Aug. 20, which will feature Luke Rockhold and Angela Magada, but the main attraction will undoubtedly be Rousey.

The presence on the card of two of the biggest names in the middleweight division, Michael Bisping and Cung Le, shows that the UFC is serious about building its Southeast Asian fanbase. The co-main event also features two top welterweights in Tyron Woodley and Dong Hyun Kim.

The Aug. 23 show also features a sizeable contingent of fighters from TUF: China with Ning Guangyou and Yang Jianping competing in the 145-pound finale, TUF 170-pound winner Yang Jianping and runner-up Wang Sai both in action for the first time since receiving UFC contracts, and Wang Anying and Yao Zhikui also in action.