The UFC Fight Night Shanghai is just a few hours away, where the Shanghai crowd will finally get to see Johnny Walker and Zhang Minyang in action. But before that, the Road to UFC took place at the Shanghai Indoor Arena, with all eyes locked on the headlining bout. Fan favorite Shi Ming stepped in against Bruna Brasil in the main event, and once the result was announced, it sparked a wave of questions for the promotion.

Ming earned her popularity as both a fighter and a doctor, quickly winning over fans with her unique story. It didn’t take long for her to rise to prominence, especially after she won the Road to UFC back in 2024. ‘The Doctor’ made her UFC debut in style as well, delivering a viral head-kick knockout against Xiaocan Feng at UFC Fight Night Macau last year.

That incredible display had supporters buzzing with anticipation for what was to follow. As the UFC geared up for its return to China, they set up a matchup for her against the much more seasoned Bruna Brasil for the Shanghai Fight Night event. Nonetheless, the bout was subsequently moved to headline Road to UFC Season 4, aiming to capture the interest of the local audience. Despite the crowd’s excitement to witness Shi Ming in action, the outcome didn’t go her way.

The fan favorite Chinese lost the bout decisively to Bruna Brasil in the main event, leaving fans disappointed. Still, many had predicted this outcome, knowing her opponent posed a much tougher challenge. Once the result went against her, UFC fans worldwide took notice. Many didn’t hesitate to call out the promotion and Dana White for poor matchmaking. So, let’s take a look at what the fans have been saying.  

Dana White faces heat as Shi Ming suffers defeat in Road to UFC headliner 

One fan didn’t hesitate to label this matchup as “baffling matchmaking,” openly questioning why the UFC booked the fight in the first place. Another followed up with a more detailed and scathing callout, “I feel like this is just how the UFC does things. They really don’t have any clue how to build fighters gradually through curated matchmaking, so they just mash fighters together and hope stars get created automatically.” 

This reaction took direct aim at the UFC and Dana White for putting Shi Ming against Bruna Brasil, a fighter who already had three UFC bouts under her belt. Including one against retired MMA veteran Molly McCann, who was a menace in her early UFC days. The same sentiment echoed again when another user pointed out a similar concern.

“Yeah this was an obvious loss for Shi, I am surprised Bruna didn’t find a finish with how open Shi was after every exchange though. Should have given Shi Marnic Mann or some sh–t. She is also just way too small for strawweight. Ming Shi VS Seika Izawa or something lol.”

Here, the fan suggested alternative opponents for Shi Ming, even bringing up Japanese star Seika Izawa. Despite her 16-0 record, many felt she would have been a much better opponent, considering Road to UFC is designed to highlight Asian talent. Another scathing reaction quickly followed,“Cashing in on the clout from the head kick and how fans thought she was quiet but super dangerous.” This user argued the UFC and its fans overrated Shi based on her viral knockout of Xiaocan Feng, which was the real moment that pushed her into prominence.

That being said, this fight could have been the perfect stage for Shi Ming to solidify herself as the next big prospect from China. Instead, she suffered a tough loss against Bruna Brasil. So that begs the question again! Did Dana White and the UFC make a mistake with the matchmaking? Or was the Brazilian simply the better fighter on the night? Let us know in the comments.