Unraveling the Narrative of UFC 326
LAS VEGAS – At UFC 326, Xiao Long found himself on the wrong end of a decision against former champion Cody Garbrandt. The fight, scheduled for Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, concluded with Garbrandt taking a unanimous decision victory, a result significantly impacted by two point deductions against Long for illegal blows.
Xiao Long's bout against Cody Garbrandt at UFC 326 was ultimately decided by point deductions for illegal strikes, costing him crucial scoring in the judges' eyes.
The official scorecards read 28-27 across the board for Garbrandt. This outcome, however, overshadows the narrative Long had hoped to construct at the event, where he expressed a belief that the UFC had "big trust" in him. This confidence stemmed from being booked against a former titleholder, a significant step in his career.
Long, who is 27-10 in mixed martial arts and 1-2 within the UFC octagon, admitted that some aspects of his professional record might not tell the whole story. "I think, really not a big professional record, but it’s still good for me, the experience,” he stated via an interpreter. His journey to this point included appearances on 'Road to UFC', which he described as valuable experiences, particularly his encounters with grapplers.
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A Career Defined by Close Contests and Regional Significance
The bout against Garbrandt marked Long's fourth appearance in the UFC. Prior to this, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Su Young You on November 23, 2024. His UFC debut was a split decision loss to ChangHo Lee on June 22, 2024, after securing a third-round knockout of Quang Le on UFC on ABC on August 23, 2025.
"The last two years when I got to the Road to UFC and I fought with a grappler, it's also a really good experience for me."
Long's entry into the UFC was framed in his home province of Hunan, China, as a significant achievement, with local reports highlighting him as the first fighter from the region to be signed by the promotion. His prior combat background includes recognized 'Sanda' championships at youth levels in Hunan and Beijing.
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His professional path has been a tapestry of hard-fought contests. Online MMA databases sometimes list him as "Long Xiao," a reflection of differing naming conventions, with Chinese sources consistently using 肖龙 (Xiao Long). The challenge for Long appears to lie in converting close losses into sustained forward momentum within the organization.
His record before joining the UFC showed a mix of outcomes, including victories and losses by decision, and some submission wins in promotions like WLF (World Action Fighting Championship).
Xiao Long's UFC entry was positioned as a provincial milestone, underscoring a narrative of ambition tied to regional pride.
The fighter, born April 13, 1998, stands at 5'8" and weighs 135 lbs. His team affiliation is listed as the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai. His career has been marked by a series of decisions, with a notable exception being a third-round knockout win over Quang Le. This past weekend's result, however, adds another chapter to a story characterized by close fights and the ongoing effort to secure decisive victories on the global stage.
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