Looking back, Rongzhu didn’t know the step up he was about to take by signing with the UFC.
Signing with the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion in 2021, the Chinese lightweight was the youngest fighter on the roster at just 21.
Having grown up competing in the sport at home, he had amassed a 20-3 record as he made his UFC debut in April 2021.
Within a year, he had been cut by the promotion with a 1-2 record and had missed weight in two of his three UFC fights.
“At that time, I was very young,” he told the Herald through a translator. “When I signed the contract with the UFC the first time, I hadn’t realised it was totally different between the UFC and the other [promotions].
“I thought it would be the same level, but it’s different.”
In the years since, Rongzhu has again proved his worth to the UFC, being re-signed by the promotion in 2024 after winning the Road To UFC feeder tournament. However, he was beaten again in his first fight back at the top level.
It was soon after that loss, in September last year, that he made the decision to travel to New Zealand. He had already trained with several different gyms around the world, but wanted to see if training with Eugene Bareman’s team at City Kickboxing would be a good fit for him.
Rongzhu carried out his next camp with the gym before winning a unanimous decision in his return to the octagon at UFC 312 in Sydney in February. His bout against highly touted newcomer Kody Steele earned him a US$50,000 fight of the night bonus, too.
Now, having found himself at home in Auckland, he’s looking to make the most of his second shot under the brightest lights.
“Every fighter is very, very difficult. Now, this time, I’ve prepared more, learned more and my passion is much stronger than before,” he said.
It’s a relationship that has been mutually beneficial for fighter and gym, City Kickboxing striking coach Mike Angove said.
“Styles don’t just make fights, they make coaching pairings and gym cultures the same way; different cultures appeal to different athletes. Obviously, there’s something Rongzhu enjoyed and we made it work.”
Angove first coached Rongzhu when he was working as the head striking coach at the UFC Performance Institute in China, a role now held by former CKB fighter Mark Timms.
That relationship seemed to be the catalyst for Rongzhu taking the leap to try the Kiwi gym. After the success of their first camp together, he appears set to carry out preparations for his next fight in Auckland too.
He’s the latest in a growing list of international fighters coming to Auckland to hone their skills, with top-level fighters arriving to train or to scope out a full fight camp.
“We have a kind of ‘no dickheads’ policy in the gym, and he’s slotted in well,” Angove said of Rongzhu. “Guys who have that overt aggressiveness or the inability to adapt to a new [gym] culture don’t fit in. He’s done that really well.
“Previously, people had to go overseas. Now, overseas people are coming to us. This is just part of that continued growth and evolution of City Kickboxing and of New Zealand [MMA] in general, in terms of coaching, skill set, and developing the game here.
“We’re now at the point where we have a legitimate pathway, but not just a legitimate pathway right now. We’re now at the point where we’re seeding talent for the future. Rong’s just turned 25. It’s incredibly young for a guy who’s had over 30 MMA fights. Incredibly young.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.
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