The Extraordinary Reasons Why Xiong Jing Nan Remains Humble

Like all the greatest martial artists, ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan (16-1) always stays humble, even when she achieves massive success.

The Chinese hero believes only athletes that remain grounded and are willing to learn will stay on top of their game, and she has done that ahead of the biggest challenge of her career so far.

At ONE: HEART OF THE LION, she will defend her belt against “Unstoppable” Angela Lee (9-0) in a World Champion versus World Champion main-event bout.

The 30-year-old respects the talent of the ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion. She gives the Evolve representative the recognition she deserves and knows she cannot be overconfident ahead of their clash in Singapore on Friday, 9 November.

By preparing diligently for the 22-year-old superstar, and facing her in the cage, “The Panda” also believes her opponent will play a huge part in her evolution as a martial artist.

“I learn from every opponent,” Xiong says. “I see myself through them. I should respect them so I can respect myself.”

Not even the greatest world champion is perfect. Any belief otherwise would be detrimental to their prospects of holding onto their belt.

Success comes from constant hard work, and a willingness to identify and work on their weaknesses. Xiong’s specialty is striking, but she is going up against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt in Lee, who is sure to test her in ways she has not been before.

“That will make you train harder and realize your own weak points,” she offers.

While Xiong is humble inside the cage, she acts the same outside of it, too.

In her formative years, the Chinese athlete was taught strong values by her father, which have remained with her in adulthood.

She was also given other reminders throughout her life about why it pays to be modest, and carry herself with class.

“There was a boy who was not clean. He was quite slow to learn, and everybody made fun of him,” she explains.

“But now, he is the most successful man from my class. The way he does business and how he treats his friends really makes people learn from him.

“So, to me, I never look down on anyone, even someone on the street. I fully respect everybody because you never know who they will become tomorrow.”

Xiong’s work ethic and humility have allowed her to improve way beyond what she could have hoped for had she rested on her laurels.

She constantly moves around Asia in search of more wisdom, and she is happy to place herself in new situations and be exposed to ideas that will help her improve.

The fact that she has become a World Champion with two successful title defenses shows her approach is working.

By keeping an open mind, “The Panda” opens herself up to more knowledge to stay a step ahead of her challengers, all while learning from them at every opportunity.

“I am sure everyone has their shining light,” Xiong explains.

“All I need to do is learn from everyone else’s, and capture it. That’s why I always respect people.”

With the knowledge she has absorbed since her last match, the Chinese hero will be hard for Lee to topple. However, win or lose, “The Panda” will be a wiser and more intelligent martial artist following their landmark contest.