Video: Jingliang Li surprised he was taken down by Michaud at UFC 173

Jingliang Li had to work a little bit against David Michaud on Saturday night, but in the long run it may be worth it.

Li (9-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) took a split decision from Michaud (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) to open up the prelims at UFC 173, which took place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Both fighters were making their UFC debuts.

Afterward, Li said Michaud’s strength took him by surprise.

“I came into this fight with a lot of confidence, and I didn’t know that my opponent was going to be so strong,” Li said. “He actually managed to take me down once. I was impressed and surprised. But I’m going to go back and look at the fight with my coaches and my team, and we’re going to work on it and get better.”

Getting better for Li, a 26-year-old from China, takes place at China Top Team, where he trains with the likes of UFC and WEC vet Tiequan Zhang.

After fighting in rings much of his career for Legend Fighting Championship in Asia, he’ll also work to improve now that he’s fighting in the UFC’s caged octagon.

“I have a lot to work on, especially my coaches telling me I have to work on my takedown defense against the cage. I haven’t had a lot of practice with the cage,” he said.

Check out the backstage interview with Li above, moments after he beat Michaud for his first UFC victory.

And for complete coverage of UFC 173, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.