UFC 261: Shanghai Academy graduates to debut at next month's pay-per-view

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Shanghai, March 19: UFC will return to Jacksonville, Florida, USA on April 25 (in Asia) for UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 and fans will finally be welcomed back into the arena for the live event.

A full house at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena will watch several Shanghai Performance Center's graduates make their debut as three champions make their title defenses:

• UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will run it back with #4 Jorge Masvidal

• UFC women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will make her fifth title defense against former strawweight champion, #1 Jessica Andrade

• UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili will be making her second title defense against #1 contender Rose Namajunas

Academy graduates set for debut at UFC 261:

Several UFC Academy graduates who have been training at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai are set to make their UFC debuts at UFC 261:

• Top flyweight prospect Aoriqileng (18-6, Inner Mongolia, China) will be facing Dana White's Contender Series winner Jeff Molina (8-2, USA). Aoriqileng is a well-rounded, heavy striker on a six fight win streak which includes winning and defending China's WLF W.A.R.S bantamweight title.

• Top female strawweight prospect Liang Na (14-4, Heilongjiang, China) makes her debut against Ariane Carnelossi (12-2, Brazil) who will make her second Octagon appearance. Liang Na is a strong grappler who was undefeated across her first seven fights, and is now looking to get her fifth win in a row in her Octagon debut.

• Top lightweight prospect Rong Zhu (17-3, fighting out of Sichuan, China) will face 2-time UFC veteran Kazula Vargas (11-4, Mexico). Rong Zhu is an exciting, proven finisher with a ten fight win streak as a multiple-time defending lightweight champion of China's WLF W.A.R.S.

Source: Press Release