England v China martial arts

London is set to play host to the largest group of professional fighters from China ever seen in Europe when a 10-strong martial arts team takes on England in Earls Court.

A sell-out crowd of 1,000 is expected, whilst in 53 countries an audience of well over 150 million will watch the inaugural battle via Henan TV in China.

The 9-man, 1-woman Chinese team will do battle against England in bouts from 55kg to 95kg that include stand-up fighting where kicks and elbows are permitted, as well as punches, plus MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) with grappling and holds.

KTMMA Promoter Tim Izli said: “This is an extremely rare opportunity to see top martial arts stars from China. We are proud to be delivering this important first for the UK”.

In addition to the ten England v China contests, the packed bill at Earls Court also includes two World Title kickboxing bouts, and a further six top class support contests.

The ground-breaking deal that has made this unique event possible was agreed between the UK’s KTMMA organisation and Wulinfeng (WLF) in China, whose three combat sport television shows per month attract some of the highest viewing figures in the country. Transmitted by the Zhongxing 6B satellite, the HNTV signal can also be picked up in Europe, Asia, and Oceania.