Rongzhu has opened up about his appreciation for the City Kickboxing gym as he prepares for his upcoming fight at UFC Shanghai. The Chinese fighter credits the team environment for his recent growth in the sport.
"I like City Kickboxing because of the atmosphere there. The team there is very cohesive and people there are helping each other. Also, they are very good coaches and make very good plans for my matches and for my training. So I feel very good about this," Rongzhu explained.
The fighter is surrounded by experienced teammates at the renowned gym, which has given him valuable perspective following his earlier UFC stint. Looking back at his initial run with the promotion, Rongzhu admits he wasn't ready for the big stage.
"During my first journey with the UFC, I was too young and I was not experienced enough, either for my game, in my training or in my life," he reflected.
Interestingly, Rongzhu's self-criticism comes despite having compiled an impressive 17-3 record before joining the UFC, with 16 of those victories coming by way of finish. The talent was clearly there, but the bright lights of the big show presented challenges he wasn't prepared for.
The fighter points to the past four years as the most significant period of both personal and professional development in his career. Can this new chapter with better training and more experience lead to the success that eluded him in his first UFC run?
Rongzhu will test his progress at UFC Shanghai on a card featuring notable matchups including Walker vs Craig, Zhang vs Smith, Ortega vs Rodriguez, and Sterling vs Kattar.
