Yuan Pengjie, a rising Chinese prospect, is set to compete in the highly anticipated RISE ELDORADO 2025 -61.5 kg tournament on March 29th. He exuded confidence and ambition in our interview before his match with Moroccan Rida Bellahcen.
At just 22, Yuan Pengjie has already made his mark by winning the Chinese National Kickboxing Championship in 2023. Now he steps onto the international stage with RISE in 2025. In our interview, he expressed a strong passion for the sport and a dedication to achieving his goals.
FIGHTING: FROM THE CLASSROOM TO THE RING
In our interview, Yuan Pengjie reflected on his school days, describing himself as mischievous and often falling behind in class. Fighting was a frequent occurrence, though at the time, he saw martial arts as little more than a refined form of street fighting rather than a structured sport. Initially, his motivation for training was simple—he wanted to be able to take on more opponents.
By chance, he stepped into WenNa Gym with no prior experience and quickly became immersed in the sport. "It was then that I realized my dream of becoming a fighter was starting to take shape," he recalled. Balancing school and training was a challenge, but even in the classroom, his mind was consumed by sparring—analyzing past sessions and strategizing for the next.
Within just three to four months of training, Pengjie discovered a genuine love for the sport and set his sights on becoming a champion. The young fighter's enthusiasm for the sport hasn't waned since.
SIGNATURE STYLE
Since Yuan Pengjie’s first fight against Kan Nakamura, his in-and-out, hypnotic fight style has drawn fight fans' attention. He describes it as, 魔术打法, loosely translating to “Magic Fighting Style”. For example, Pengjie will throw feinting half punches at the air in combination with real punches with unorthodox timing to throw off his opponents.
When asked whether he worries about opponents analyzing and countering his technique, Pengjie responded with confidence: “I’m not afraid of anyone studying me or my technique. While they’re analyzing me, I’m evolving—constantly refining and upgrading my skills. It’s like a chase; as long as I keep moving forward fast enough, they’ll never catch me, and I’ll always be the one setting the pace."
ON RISE ELDORADO 2025
In the first round of the RISE ELDORADO 2025 -61.5 kg tournament, Yuan Pengjie will face former Enfusion champion Rida Bellahcen. Pengjie is confident in his ability to handle the aggressive style of Rida. "This is my favorite type of matchup," he said. "I’ve faced many aggressive fighters before, and I’m used to their approach. But I don’t think he’ll be as comfortable dealing with my technique."
Pengjie also shared his vision for the tournament: "First, I’ll take down Rida. Then, I hope to face Hyuma Hitachi in the next round and win. Ultimately, I want a rematch with Kan in the final." Reflecting on his previous fight with Kan (a decision loss), Pengjie showed a hint of bitterness but remained determined, confident that this time, the outcome would be different.
FUTURE PLANS FOR PENGJIE
While fighters are concerned with weight cutting, Yuan Pengjie is currently focused on gaining weight to optimize his performance for RISE ELDORADO. "Honestly, training and fight preparation aren’t the hardest part for me—gaining weight is," he admitted with a smile.
Pengjie believes that his ideal weight class is around 57 kg, suggesting that in the future, he may consider moving down to 60 kg or even 57 kg as his career progresses. His approach to weight management reflects a long-term strategy aimed at maintaining peak performance while adapting to different competition demands.
