Jingliang Li Record: 19-9-0

Building in the UFC

Li opened his UFC tenure with a split-decision win over undefeated David Michaud in 2014, then weathered an uneven early stretch – a split-decision loss to Nordine Taleb and a submission defeat to veteran Keita Nakamura – that taught him the level required to stay. He responded by leaning into his power, knocking out Dhiego Lima and Anton Zafir inside a round and stopping Bobby Nash.

Peak years

Li hit his stride in the late 2010s. After a decision over Frank Camacho and a first-round TKO of Zak Ottow, he rebounded from a loss to Jake Matthews with a string of impressive finishes – a body-kick knockout of David Zawada in 2018 and a third-round TKO of the dangerous Elizeu Zaleski in 2019. After a decision loss to Neil Magny, Li delivered one of the most memorable knockouts of his career in January 2021, flattening Santiago Ponzinibbio with a single first-round punch.

Later career

That win put Li in the welterweight title conversation, but a quick first-round submission loss to surging prospect Khamzat Chimaev later in 2021 was a reset. He answered with a second-round TKO of Muslim Salikhov in 2022 before dropping a split decision to Daniel Rodriguez and being stopped by rising contender Carlos Prates in 2024. Through it all he has carried a 19-9 record as one of the most experienced and respected veterans in the division.

Fighting style

Li is a pressure fighter built around power punching. Of his 19 wins, 10 have come by knockout and four by submission for a 74% finish rate, and he is at his most dangerous walking opponents down and loading up the right hand – as the one-shot finish of Ponzinibbio showed. His wrestling and Sanda base give him a sturdy clinch and the ability to mix in body kicks and submissions when the opening appears. The honest counterpoint is that his come-forward style can leave him hittable and grappling-vulnerable against elite competition, with multiple decision and submission losses to the division's best.

Career highlights

• One-punch knockout of Santiago Ponzinibbio — his first-round finish in 2021 was a statement win that pushed him toward the welterweight rankings' upper tier.
• Pioneer of Chinese MMA — one of the UFC's earliest fighters from China, he became a long-tenured fixture and ambassador for the sport in his country.
• 74% finish rate — 14 of his 19 wins by stoppage reflect a power-based, all-action style that rarely leaves fights to the judges when he is on.