Targeting domestic rage in the cage

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is keen to develop a galaxy of homegrown stars to grow its brand in China.

"It is not a secret that is the formula to success - having locally relevant heroes is the way that sports brands grow," said Kevin Chang, UFC's vice-president for Asia Pacific.

"We'll probably start to develop and invest in more athletes in China and the region because there are simply more people in the sport now. We're still deciding how we'll go about doing this."