There are two major criticisms leveled at Chinese MMA fighters today.
The first is a lack of heart. This “lack of heart” comes about when an athlete who has been taken care of his entire life is suddenly thrown into an environment in which individual dedication and sacrifice are the only things that can take him forward.
In the Chinese athletic system, kids are chosen very early and separated from the harsh realities of life in a developing country; the basics are paid for, and with the fighters, a circuit is in place that rewards consistency and not excellence.
So when fighters out of this system crossover into MMA, for example, they find that no one is giving them anything, and some of these fighters cannot adapt. They don’t take to the new system. For some, being the best is not as important as a steady paycheck.
