Earlier today Road to UFC 2 kicked off at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China. This season featured several high-level talents who battled it out against one another at the quarter-finals in hopes of getting a UFC contract.
Great night, packed UFC Shanghai Performance Institute, entertaining fights, lively crowd. 10/10 for Road To UFC 2, Day 1, in Shanghai. #RoadToUFC pic.twitter.com/DeP0QQjo0E
— Denis Green (@Denisgreen10) May 27, 2023
The fight card of Road to UFC 2 delivered to the expectations of many as the prospects showcased their skills and provided entertainment for the fans. Subsequently, this season’s quarter-finals event had everything from knockouts to submissions and close decisions that kept the viewers on the edge of their seats.
Here is everything to know about Road to UFC
The UFC does not have a lot of Asian talents competing in their promotion as of now. But to tackle this problem and to give opportunities to Asian fighters, the promotion decided to come up with a new tournament. This tournament features eight participants from four weight classes each – Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight and Lightweight divisions.
📍 Reporting LIVE from the UFC PI, Shanghai!
20 prospects look to make their name as #RoadToUFC starts NOW on @UFCFightPass! pic.twitter.com/y90GD4P0pk
— UFC (@ufc) May 27, 2023
The winner of the tournament from every division will receive the prestigious UFC contract and will get an opportunity to compete on the biggest combat sports stage. If we take a look at the recently concluded Road to UFC 2 event, the quarter-final round of each division took place over the span of two days on the 27th and 28th of May at the UFC PI in Shanghai.
Fighters who won in the last two days will move forward and square off against each other in the semi-finals later this year. The date and location for the Road to UFC 2 semi-finals is not announced yet.
This tournament is a great move by the UFC as we witnessed the rise of Japan’s Rinya Nakamura, India’s Anshul Jubli, South Korea’s Jeong Yeong Lee and Hyun Sung Park.
These four fighters have won the tournament in their respective weight classes and have earned the UFC contract. They have a chance to shine and put their country on the MMA map.
Who are the top fighters competing at Road to UFC 2?
The quarter-finals of the second season of Road to UFC concluded recently and subsequently, there were many fighters who showed great potential. However, let us take a look at some top prospects who dominated their fights and showcased their remarkable skills inside the octagon.
Last season’s finalist SeungGuk Choi put on a clinical performance and defeated Sumit Kumar via unanimous decision. It seemed that his experience from the first season has helped him gain a tremendous amount of confidence. Taiyilake Nueraji stepped inside the octagon and let his hands loose as he exchanged on the feet from the minute go in his fight against HanSeul Kim.
Absurd KO at Road To UFC pic.twitter.com/nOcAD1ChnX
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) May 27, 2023
In what was a vicious brawl, Nueraji’s striking prowess was on display as he knocked out Kim in the first round and progressed to the semi-finals. Rei Tsuruya is another fighter who showed great potential as he landed a takedown in the first ten seconds and pretty much rag-dolled his opponent.
20 year old Rei Tsuruya (7-0) put on a grappling clinic in his Road To UFC tournament debut. Gets the second round kimura, Tatsuro Taira 2.0??#RoadToUFC pic.twitter.com/LhWPPahvco
— Big Bird (@bigbird_ph) May 27, 2023
Tsuruya then went on to finish Ronal Siahaan with a brilliant Kimura submission and earned a spot in the semi-finals. Li Kaiwen closed out the show with a bang as he knocked out his opponent Lu Kai within 90 seconds of the fight.
