Road to UFC winner Shi Ming is yet to fight in the UFC proper, but she’s hoping to some day.
In November 2024, Ming (17-6) won the RTU 3 women’s strawweight tournament, and a UFC contract with it. Technically, the fight came on the UFC Macau card headlined by Deiveson Figueiredo and Petr Yan, so it was a UFC fight, but still part of RTU. Last August, she returned, losing to Bruna Brasil – on another Road to UFC card, rather than a Fight Night, though it was an official UFC fight.
Once again, on Friday, Ming will be fighting for the UFC, but on a Road to UFC card. This time, she takes on India’s Puja Tomar.
“This is the fifth time I come to RTU. To be honest, every fighter’s dream is to fight for the UFC. I hope one day I can go to the real UFC Fight Night, maybe even a big numbered fight,” Ming admitted during Wednesday’s UFC Macau media day. A pair of Road to UFC events lead into Saturday’s Fight Night event. Ming fights on the second.
It’s less the fight that has her nervous, however, than the media. “I’m more anxious about interviews more than fights. So right now I’m super-nervous.,” she admitted. “After this interview, maybe I will calm down more.”
Ming suggested it might just be that she’s not used to, familiar, with the cameras just yet. However she’s managed to get herself out there, using social media to announce her most recent fight and building a rather large following online.
Shi Ming’s fight announcement video is everything you’d expect it to be. pic.twitter.com/4exminT4EF
— Drake Riggs (@DrakeRiggs_) May 22, 2026
The increased following has her a little more nervous as well. “Actually much more nervous,” Ming admitted, noting that she’s had 23 MMA fights, but “this time is the first time that I feel it. It makes me extra nervous, because a lot of people are supporting me. Before, I was always a big underdog, by a far margin. People always think, I will lose, so I don’t have that much pressure. For this match, everyone supports me, and a lot of kids, they tell me, ‘please win!’
Ming recalled that in the beginning, she was offended by being the underdog, because fight fans, coaches and gym owners told her she was too small to fight and lacked a sports background. “So they just don’t coach me that serious. A lot of teams, they asked me, ‘don’t train, come to teach kids for our gym.’”
“So in the beginning, yes, I feel upset, but later I met a good coach, I learned wrestling, then I started winning my matches. I started dominating a lot of professional fighters, even though I only trained three times per week. Then I feel like it doesn’t matter what people think – I can be a winner, because of my good coach.”
Now, however, Ming’s mindset has returned to how it was before, “because too many people support me. I feel like I’m on a different level. I have to fight for my country. I feel like a roller coaster.”
Watch the full UFC Macau/Road to UFC media day appearance by Shi Ming above.