Sumudaerji

Sumudaerji, nicknamed "The Tibetan Eagle," is a Chinese mixed martial artist of Tibetan ethnicity who competes in the flyweight division of the UFC. He was born in the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province and has said he herded cattle in the mountains as a child before turning to combat sports.

Mudaerji began training in sanda, China's striking-and-takedown combat sport, in 2010, placing second in the Sichuan Youth Sanda Championship. He joined Chengdu's Enbo Fight Club at age 14 and was later selected for the Sichuan provincial sanda team before shifting his focus to mixed martial arts and turning professional in 2016. He built his early record on China's regional circuit before signing with the UFC, and has also trained out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California.

A powerful striker, Mudaerji fights behind long-range punches, body kicks, and spinning attacks rooted in his sanda background, and he has produced a high rate of knockout and stoppage finishes over the course of his career. Grappling defense has been the more frequent point of vulnerability, with a number of his losses coming by submission.

He made his UFC debut in November 2018 against Louis Smolka, and scored a unanimous decision over veteran Andre Soukhamthath in his second promotional outing. His signature performance came against Malcolm Gordon, whom he knocked out in 44 seconds to earn a Performance of the Night bonus, and he later delivered a widely praised, back-and-forth Fight of the Night effort opposite Matt Schnell.

As the first fighter of Tibetan descent to compete in the UFC

Stats last updated: August 09, 2026