Four years ago, UFC welterweight Li Jingliang couldn’t even get a visa to enter the U.S. Now he’s the face of Chinese MMA, greeted by clamoring fans at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Fresh off of his third UFC win, a knockout victory over Anton Zafir (7-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale this past week in Las Vegas, Jingliang (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) is back in his adopted hometown of Beijing after a month of training in Sin City. And while “The Leech” revels in his role as China’s elite MMA competitor, he told MMAjunkie about a time when he was left behind as his teammates were brought to Nevada by the UFC for an international development program.

“I couldn’t come (here); I couldn’t get a visa,” said Li, who hails from China’s Xinjiang Province, an autonomous region in the country’s northwest that has been a center for social unrest and upheaval due to a strong separatist movement.

Jingliang stayed behind and continued training at Beijing’s China Top Team while Tiequan Zhang, the UFC’s first Chinese fighter, was joined by prospects Rijirigala Amu, Liucai Cui and Honggang Yao for the Las Vegas mini-camp.

It was a tough blow for Jingliang, who was competing under the now-defunct Legend FC banner at the time; access to elite training facilities and coaching could have fast-tracked his development. But four years later, Jingliang has no bitterness or resentment. He’s traveled to Tokyo, Manila and Canada to fight inside the UFC octagon, along with two appearances at MGM Grand Garden Arena, a coveted Las Vegas venue for combat sports. And with his experience comes a wealth of knowledge that he’s now sharing with China’s future MMA stars.

“My strength and conditioning, wrestling, and muay Thai all got a lot better (since my last fight),” said Li, who worked with top coaches like Robert Follis and Ricky Lundell. “My whole fighting style is better after training with guru (Jimmy Gifford) and Randy Couture’s gym (Xtreme Couture).”

Training in Las Vegas for the second time (he conducted a similar camp prior to his promotional debut at UFC 173), Jingliang kept his longtime head coach, Ruy Menezes, in the loop, relaying all of his workouts, technical improvements and nutrition back to Beijing, where Menezes remained until fight week. The two maintain an almost telepathic bond after nearly six years together, but Jingliang provided Menezes with almost daily updates.

“Me and the U.S. coach talk … and fix his mistakes. … The strategy (was) always to keep it standup,” said Menezes, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Carlson Gracie who began his tenure at China Top Team in 2010. “I think (it’s important) not only for China Top Team, but also for China, when Jingliang and all the Chinese fighters win because the sport is still growing in China. “

It’s with the benefit of two American camps under his belt, with guidance from elite coaches, that Jingliang returned to China to share his experience. In particular, he hopes to share some wisdom with the country’s other fighters, including “TUF: China” winner, Ning Guangyou, who’s expected to fight at UFC 202 on Aug. 20.

But there are other important lessons Jingliang expects to share with his compatriots in an effort to help boost the Chinese MMA talent pool and improve the national infrastructure for MMA. One such example is the UFC’s new policy regarding early weigh-ins.

Cutting weight has always been difficult for Chinese fighters, who don’t necessarily have the best nutritional habits. Just last year, China’s Yang Jian Bing died as a result of dehydration from a crash diet and botched weight cut. The news had a detrimental effect on the sport in the middle kingdom.

“He was a good fighter, and this situation was very sad,” said Jingliang , who is eyeing a spot on the Oct. 15 UFC card in Manila. “I felt bad, honestly. I think more Chinese fighters, coaches and teams need to be more healthy and be careful. I think (the early weigh ins) are much better. The athletes have more time to recover. The earlier we weigh in, the more we can fight. It’s better for the athletes, and it’s better for the fans. … I think the promotions in China will see this and start to do it.”

Jingliang also, indirectly, learned another valuable lesson while in Las Vegas: He was stunned by the news of interim light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ removal from UFC 200 due to a potential anti-doping violation, and he hopes that the news will not have a negative impact on MMA in China.

“There’s nothing good about it,” Jingliang said. “He’s a champion, but he didn’t do what champions are supposed to do. I don’t want Chinese fighters to follow this example, or all fighters for that matter. When you’re a champion, you have to act like one in life as well.”

Now back in Beijing, Jingliang will take some time to enjoy his win and celebrate with his teammates, wife and eight-month-old daughter. And while he was initially excited about the potential sale of the UFC to a Chinese company, he believes that even with the U.S.-based WME-IMG instead at the helm, there’s potential for the UFC to host its first event in mainland China.

“If the UFC would come to China, it would be huge; it would help (the sport) grow so much,” Jingliang said. “Right now there are maybe 20 promotions doing fights … but all the fighters want to fight in the UFC. … I think China’s ready for an event. It’s just a timing issue.”

For more on The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, check out the UFC Events section of the site.

Dan Shapiro has covered MMA for Fightland, the Huffington Post and other outlets. Follow him on Twitter at @dannyshap.