Shi Ming of China reacts after her victory over Feng Xiaocan of China in their Women's Strawweight RTU Tournament Final fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Galaxy Arena on November 23, 2024 in Macao, China. Photo: VCG

After more than half a year since signing with the UFC, 30-year-old traditional Chinese medicine physician Shi Ming is finally ready to make her professional mixed martial arts debut in the UFC. 

She will step into the octagon in Shanghai at the special main event of the Road to UFC Season 4 semifinals, facing Brazilian opponent Bruna Brasil.

Shi, dubbed the "martial arts doctor," secured her UFC contract after winning Road to UFC Season 3 in late 2024, earning notable recognition in the Chinese MMA community. 

Unlike many pursuing full-time athletic careers, Shi continues her medical practice, juggling her hospital duties with MMA training.

To make this fight possible, she arranged six days' leave from her hospital work - a result of extra shifts she worked in July to earn the needed time off. 

"Last month I worked several extra shifts thus meaning I can adjust my rest days this month," she told reporters in an online interview on Wednesday.

To prepare for the bout, Shi significantly increased her training regimen. 

She said that after her regular clinic hours, she built her physical conditioning skills through running in weekends. 

"I train wrestling at the club with my coach and I think I have made improvements," she told the Global Times. 

"Now my technique is better, and transitions are smoother. My physical condition is also a bit better than when I competed in the Road to UFC."

Despite her confidence in training, Shi admits she is feeling the pressure. 

"This is the most pressure I've ever had since competing in fighting," she said candidly. 

On home turf, in her official UFC debut, as the final fighter of the night, and facing an opponent with superior height, weight and experience, Shi said this makes her "extremely nervous."

The mental pressure is deepened with the support behind her. 

"There are more people helping me prepare for the fight this time. I don't want to let them down. And those who encourage and support me, I don't want to make them sad either."

Shi credits her coach, Bagher, as her greatest advantage. 

"Whether I can execute the strategy he puts in place in the octagon is the key to whether I can win this fight," she told the Global Times. 

"I train wrestling predominantly, but previously I won fights standing up. This time I hope I can use some wrestling techniques."

Regarding her long-term plans, Shi has said she considered the possibility of shifting to full-time MMA fighting, but the time has not yet arrived. 

"I have such plans, but not now," she admitted. 

"This is just my UFC debut, I'm not sure of my level yet. I'll fight a few matches and see where I stand. In the future, if I reach rankings and need to, I will invest more energy in fighting."

When asked about her nickname "martial arts doctor," she said, "Maybe there are other fighting-capable TCM doctors. They just haven't competed."

Another highly anticipated match on the UFC Shanghai fight card is Chinese rising light heavyweight fighter Zhang Mingyang, who will take on Johnny Walker on Saturday.