In this episode of the podcast, we speak with Vaughn “Blud” Anderson, who has been a professional fighter in China for over a decade. In that time, Vaughn has competed with, judged and hosted professional fights all across China and elsewhere across Asia. We talk about mixed martial arts in China, the traditions of kung fu and how they fit into the the modern art of competitive fighting, and so much more.

Vaughn is not only an expert on competitive fighting but also very knowledgeable on China itself, having spent over a decade training here and working with a wide cast of collaborators. Most recently, Vaughn is working with the Singapore-based ONE Championship MMA promotion company, which has hosted over 20 professional fights across Asia since being founded in 2011.

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Topics Discussed

0:45 Who is One Championship and what is fight promotion

3:00 The market for MMA in China

5:10 Growth of fandom and practitioners of MMA in China

7:30 Vaughn’s fighting background and experience living in China

9:40 Taiwan BJJ

11:45 Transitioning from contact sport to fighting

14:45 Vaughn’s first paid fight

18:45 Fighting as a form of self-expression

22:00 Vaughn’s decision to retire

24:10 Vaughn’s first loss

28:00 Vaughn’s first glimpse into the life of the Mainland Chinese athlete

30:30 Playing hockey as a child

34:00 China’s talent development program for MMA and free market vs. socialist sports training schemes

35:30 A change in outlook and training regimen after his first loss

39:45 K1 comes to Taiwan (Find Jun Ito fight)

45:00 Vaughn approaches Art of War

50:00 The conditions of living as a professional MMA fighter

53:00 The government-provided perks of being an Olympic wrestler in China

54:00 The trainers provided by Art of War

56:30 The pressure of being the only foreigner in an all Chinese camp

62:00 The parallels between learning martial arts and learning another culture

66:00 Strengths and weaknesses of China’s construction of an MMA scene

68:15 The challenges for MMA promotions trying to popularize MMA in China

72:40 How easily public opinion of fighters can change

74:45 The state of modern Kung Fu and the Shaolin Temple

79:45 Does Kung Fu have a place in modern MMA?

87:20 Upcoming One Championship matches

89:00 Ken Shamrock vs. Kimbo Slice

90:30 Vaughn Anderson’s keys to victory

Songs Featured in This Episode

Got an idea of what we should record our next podcast about? Let us know in the comments and if you like what you heard, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and stay tuned for the next one!