Chinese officials abruptly canceled a highly anticipated MMA title bout after determining that competitor Miao Ding’s bikini attire during the weigh-in was “indecent.”
The 32-year-old, who has built a significant following in the Chinese MMA scene, took to social media to explain the situation to her disappointed fans.
“Many friends care about me, I’d like to explain why the fight was cancelled. After the weigh-in, the organizer received complaint calls, they have to forcefully cancel my fighting. The reason is that I was considered to be indecent because I wore a bikini!” Ding wrote.
The decision reportedly came not from the event organizers themselves, who according to Ding have been supportive of her, but from higher authorities.
“The old codger from the Sports Bureau said I was indecent,” she stated. “The event organizing likes me very much, but it was the superior department that forced them to cancel my competition.”
The cancellation followed a tense moment at the weigh-in when a scuffle broke out between Ding and her opponent, further heightening tensions around the event.
Ding, a graduate of the prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts who left a lucrative career to pursue combat sports, defended her choice of attire, noting that it has been her standard practice throughout her career.
“I have been wearing a bikini for the weigh-in since my first competition. At that time, I wasn’t famous and no one paid attention to me. But now many fans follow me and are looking forward to watching my competition. At the same time, there are also people who hate me and even say that I have disgraced the reputation of athletes,” she explained.
Despite the setback, Ding remains defiant and committed to staying true to herself. “I’m very sorry that the competition was cancelled and let everyone down. However, I will still insist on being myself. I believe that in such a big world, there will always be a place that can accommodate me,” she stated.
With over 40 bouts across Muay Thai, kickboxing, and MMA under her belt, Ding has built a reputation not only for her skills in the ring but also for her distinctive personality. Her social media accounts frequently feature beach training sessions and she’s known for her personal motto “干就完了” (“just do it”).
This has highlighted ongoing tensions in Chinese sports regarding appropriate attire and presentation for female athletes, with many fans rallying behind Ding in support of her right to choose her own competition wear.
