29-year-old Su Mudaerji is gearing up for his ninth walk to the UFC Octagon on August 23rd in Shanghai, China, where he will face Kevin Borjas. While his recent outings haven’t been the most impressive, the southpaw—who currently holds a 4-4 record in the UFC—is determined to add another win to his resume at UFC Fight Night 257.

Yet, beyond his performance inside the cage, fans seem equally curious about the Chinese flyweight’s background. With the stage set and anticipation building, many have wondered about Su Mudaerji’s origins—specifically, whether he hails from mainland China or the culturally distinct region of Tibet. As the excitement builds for Saturday night’s showdown, here’s a closer look at everything you need to know about the 29-year-old mixed martial artist.

Su Mudaerji’s ethnicity and nationality

Su Mudaerji, well known in combat circles as ‘The Tibetan Eagle,’ holds a unique place in mixed martial arts history as the first fighter of Tibetan ethnicity to compete in the UFC. He was born and raised in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, China. This means the 29-year-old southpaw represents both Tibet and China, although he is specifically from the Tibetan region. His breakthrough moment came when he made his UFC debut, which took place in Beijing, China, in 2018, marking a historic occasion for Tibet.

His entire identity is tied to the region, something he often speaks about, emphasizing the pride and joy people from the region feel upon seeing him on the world stage. Training out of Enbo Fight Club, a gym that offers opportunities to disadvantaged youth, he has always expressed gratitude toward his coaches and supporters for helping him reach the sport’s highest level. While he competes under the Chinese flag, Mudaerji emphasizes that his cause is to bring honor not only to his country but also to his people and region. 

Su Mudaerji’s UFC Career

The 29-year-old’s career has been a turbulent one, spanning a couple of promotions and the occasional setback. He made his MMA debut against Seung Heon Lim while fighting in Wu Lin Feng (WLF), a Chinese MMA promotion. However, his second fight saw him succumb to a loss for the first time against Yusuke Uehara. Bouncing back, he went on an eight-fight win streak, five of which came from a first-round knockout.

Still, adversity wasn’t far away, as Mudaerji lost to Abdulla Aliev via submission. Yet again, he bounced back with four back-to-back wins, all via first-round knockouts. He suffered another loss in his next fight against Haobin Ma via submission, but it didn’t stop him from taking the biggest step in his career—he joined the UFC. He wasn’t successful, though, since he lost the fight against Louis Smolka again via submission, which seems to be his only weakness. 

Regardless, ‘The Tibetan Eagle’ isn’t one to give up, as he bounced back with three back-to-back wins. However, a dark phase of his career awaited the southpaw, and he lost three fights consecutively to Matt Schnell, Tim Elliott, and Charles Johnson—first two via submissions and the third on the scorecards. In his last fight, Mudaerji managed to secure a split decision win at UFC 314 in April. 

Clearly, Su Mudaerji has had a tough time in recent years, but with his next fight set in China, he will be surrounded by plenty of support from his fans. But the question is, can the 29-year-old salvage his MMA career? Or will his recent string of disappointing performances continue?