Chinese MMA fighter Shi Ming secured a dominant victory over India's Puja Tomar at Road to UFC Season 5 in Macau, but it was her unexpected Aamir Khan and Dangal shoutout after the fight that quickly became one of the biggest talking points online.
Competing inside the Galaxy Arena in Macau, Shi Ming submitted Puja Tomar in the very first round of their strawweight clash. While Indian MMA fans were left disappointed after Tomar's difficult outing, the atmosphere inside the arena shifted moments later when Shi Ming delivered an emotional post-fight speech referencing Aamir Khan and his iconic sports drama Dangal.
The Chinese fighter, who also works as a practicing internal medicine doctor, spoke openly about how deeply the film had inspired her journey in combat sports and even jokingly suggested that her own story deserves a sequel.
Shi Ming's Dangal comment steals the spotlight
Although the fight itself ended quickly, Shi Ming's Octagon interview unexpectedly became one of the most viral moments from the event. Instead of focusing entirely on her victory, the fighter spoke emotionally about belief, inspiration and how Indian cinema had impacted her personally.
"It's really important to me that people believe in me… I want to say that, I like Bollywood star Aamir Khan. The movie, Dangal, is so touching. I hope someone can make a movie about me like that someday. Dangal 2, let's go!"
The crowd inside the arena reacted warmly to the statement, while clips of the interview immediately began circulating across social media platforms.
Why Dangal remains hugely popular in China?
Released in 2016, Dangal became one of the most successful Indian films globally and developed a massive fan following in China. The film starred Aamir Khan as wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari to become world-class wrestlers despite societal resistance.
The sports drama connected strongly with Chinese audiences because of its emotional father-daughter story, underdog themes and focus on women breaking barriers in sports. In China alone, the film reportedly earned over ₹1,295 crore during its theatrical run, becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian films in the market.
The doctor who became an MMA star
Part of what makes Shi Ming stand out in the MMA world is her life outside the cage. Apart from being a professional fighter, she also works as an internal medicine doctor, something that has earned her the nickname The Doctor or "Dr Sleep" among MMA fans online.
