While Bae Myung Ho’s showboating and career as an underwear model might grab attention outside the Ring, he is pure business when he climbs through the ropes. Bae made his Legend debut with a Submission of the Night award at Legend 1, eliciting the tap from Japanese opponent Yoshitomo Watanabe with only one second left in the second round. Since then, he has won three dominant victories at Legend, taking the Welterweight Title from top-ranked New Zealand fighter Rod MacSwain in his last outing at Legend 5. But China’s top Welterweight Li Jingliang might be the man to end his unbeaten streak. Li is undefeated himself since making the cut from Middleweight to Welterweight, beating three highly skilled opponents in the process: he slammed his way to a TKO victory against Taiwan’s Andrei Liu, guillotine-choked Australia’s Tony Rossini into unconsciousness, and took a unanimous decision victory against elite Muay Thai specialist Alex Niu of China. Now, he faces his toughest challenge to date in his quest to bring the Legend belt back to China Top Team.

In June 2009, Shuaijiao (Chinese Wrestling) stylist Yao Honggang made his MMA debut against Jumabieke Tuerxun, one of Xian Physical Education University’s standout prospects in Sanda and Wrestling. Bieke was already a seasoned competitor in MMA, and he overwhelmed Yao, forcing a doctor stoppage at the end of the second round. Using this first defeat as a learning experience, Yao adapted and evolved his training and strategy, largely under the guidance of his new coaches at China Top Team. In the two-and-a-half years since that loss, Yao has won six of his seven fights, including victories over some of the best opposition in the Asia-Pacific, ultimately winning the Legend Bantamweight Title. Bieke has followed a similar path of success, remaining undefeated across 10 professional fights. This championship bout is a moment of truth for both men: for Yao, it is his opportunity to avenge a painful defeat and demonstrate that he is worthy of his title as the Asia-Pacific champion. For Bieke, it is a chance to show that he is still a better fighter than Yao, and prove that he deserves to wear the Legend belt.

After sustaining a broken hand in a narrow decision loss to eventual Legend Welterweight Champion Bae Myung Ho at Legend 2, Australia’s Matt Cain took some time away from competition. It was meant to be a short hiatus to allow his hand to heal, but when huge flooding hit Queensland in December 2010, Cain – a construction manager – spent much of the first half of 2011 working on reconstruction projects. Since then, Cain has been back in training with a vengeance, and is looking forward to facing his toughest opponent to date: China’s Liu Wenbo. Liu has spent most of his career as a Heavyweight, and will bring a massive frame and heavy power into his Middleweight debut. The Chinese striking specialist has gone to a decision only twice in 11 career fights. And with Liu’s unique stand-up combination of Boxing and Sanda, Cain – who has never before faced a Chinese opponent – will have his hands full in his return to the Legend Ring.

After making his Legend debut as a Heavyweight, South Korean fighter Yang Hae Jun made the cut to Middleweight, winning his first outing at that weight at Legend 5. Since then, Yang has continued to train alongside Korean standouts Kim Dong Hyun, Bae Myung Ho, and Jo Nam Jin at Busan’s Team MAD. With the goal of earning a shot at Legend’s first-ever Middleweight Title in mind, Yang will be seeking another dominant victory in the Legend Ring. Standing in his way will be red-hot Japanese prospect Hideto Tatsumi. Tatsumi first appeared on the Japanese MMA scene in 2009 and is currently riding a three-fight win streak. Known for his heavy hands, Tatsumi has won most of his fights by knockout and plans to bring the same powerful striking to his Legend debut. With seven of their combined nine victories by KO, fans can expect this encounter to end quickly.

Kiwi standout Gareth Ealey last fought at Legend 5, when he and Team MAD’s Yang Hae Jun squared off in an action-packed encounter that was a top contender for Fight of the Night honors. Having fractured his hand in that contest, Ealey took some time off to recover but is now training hard for his return to competition. And he faces a real test in his next opponent: dynamic Chinese striker Wang Sai. Originally a Sanda stylist, Wang has spent the past few years honing his grappling and submissions skills, first as a member of China Top Team, and now at Thailand’s Legacy Gym. With Ealey seeking to notch a win in his newly chosen weight class, and with Wang looking to take a step closer to the Legend Welterweight Title, the first fight of the main card looks to be an explosive contest.

When Leonard Delarmino makes his Legend debut on February 11, he will carry a family legacy and a lifetime of achievements in martial arts with him. With championships in Boxing, Wushu, and Muay Thai under his belt, he brings pinpoint striking and knockout power into the Legend Ring. But he will be squaring off against an equally impressive opponent: Chinese submission specialist Ji Xian. Originally a Sanda fighter, it is now Ji’s grappling skills that make him such a dangerous adversary. He is undefeated across six fights, with all six victories coming by way of first-round submission. With the two fighters bringing a combined record of nine stoppage victories in 10 fights to this match-up, it’s clear that both men will be hunting for the finish, ensuring that fans will be in for an explosive contest.

On the heels of a first-round submission victory against Filipino Ereneo Galindez at Legend 6, Australia’s Michael Mortimer is keen to work himself back to title contention, and potentially a rematch against current Legend Bantamweight Champion Yao Honggang. A veteran of almost 20 fights, Mortimer is especially well-known for his slick grappling, having won seven of his 15 victories by submission. But Taiyo Nakahara might be just the opponent to neutralize Mortimer’s ground skills. A 20-fight veteran himself, Nakahara was previously the number one contender for the Sengoku Bantamweight Title and is currently riding a four-fight win streak. And Nakahara has some history with Mortimer’s team, having fought Integrated MMA’s Adrian Pang as a Featherweight back in 2006. With Nakahara looking to establish himself in Legend’s Bantamweight division, this will be a challenging fight for both men.

On the heels of a controversial split decision loss at Legend 6, Japanese fighter Koji Ando is seeking redemption with a decisive victory in his next Legend outing. Physically big for the lightweight division, Ando is a well-rounded fighter who uses both his size and his skills to control and bully his opponents, and is particularly feared for his grappling and ground-and-pound. With his original opponent Song Un Sik sidelined by injury, Australia’s Damien Brown has stepped into his place, taking on one of the most dangerous lightweights on Legend’s roster in his Legend debut. But Brown is a near-perfect match-up for Ando: a tough all-rounder who is just as dangerous on the ground as on his feet, with a never-say-die attitude. And with both men looking to establish themselves in Legend’s ultra-competitive lightweight division, fans should expect non-stop action from bell to bell.

With injury once again derailing Choi Yeong Gwang’s return to action, New Zealand’s Ev Ting has agreed to take his place against Mark Striegl of the Philippines. Ting is only a week past his last MMA fight: a January 28 TKO victory against Striegl’s teammate Will Chope in Napier, New Zealand. Unscathed by that contest, and still near peak condition, the Malaysian native showed his fighting spirit by agreeing to make his Legend debut on only seven days notice. Already driven by his desire for a seventh consecutive win, Striegl now has an additional motive for victory: revenge for his teammate. And with neither fighter having ever tasted defeat in MMA, this has the makings of one of the best fights on the card.

Although still relatively early in his MMA career, Sung Ming-Yen has made a strong impression. In his MMA debut, he earned a unanimous decision victory over a seasoned Japanese opponent. And in his second outing, he needed less than two minutes to defeat Vincent Siu at Legend 5, earning Submission of the Night honors in the process. But he may very well have met his match in dangerous Filipino striker Agustin Delarmino, Jr. A lifelong martial artist, Delarmino has excelled across multiple disciplines and comes into this fight with four victories already under his belt, two of them by knockout. Look for these two fighters to set the pace for the rest of the evening with an explosive first fight of the night.