A quiet weekend in the world of MMA allowed some Asian prospects to shine when the second coming of the “Road to UFC” kicked off from China.
The initial season of the tournament format series was a success throughout 2022, and the UFC continued the format starting today from the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai.
Welterweight, flyweight and featherweight fighters were featured in Episode 2, and there was a highlight-reel knockout that captured the majority of the attention.
Check out complete results from Episode 2 of “Road to UFC 2” below.
* * * *
Taiyilake Nueraji def. Han Seul Kim
Result: Taiyilake Nueraji def. Han Seul Kim via knockout (elbow) – Round 2, 1:38
Updated records: Nueraji (9-1), Kim (13-5)
Weight class: Welterweight
Referee: Thomas Fan
WHAT A KNOCKOUT! 🤯
🇨🇳 Taiyilake Nueraji just went SUPER SAIYAN! #RoadToUFC pic.twitter.com/hbXCjanBVA
— UFC (@ufc) May 27, 2023
Jiniushiyue def. Billy Pasulatan
Result: Jiniushiyue defeats Billy Pasulatan via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:56
Updated records: Jiniushiyue (12-2), Pasulatan (10-3)
Weight class: Flyweight
Referee: Marc Goddard
Raining ground & pound! ⛈️
🇨🇳 Jiniushiyue keeps the finishes coming here at #RoadToUFC! pic.twitter.com/qzNIl3fDkz
— UFC (@ufc) May 27, 2023
Koya Kanda def. Yibugele
Result: Koya Kanda def. Yibugele via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Updated records: Kanda (12-4), Yibugele (22-12-1)
Weight class: Featherweight
Referee: Marc Goddard
Talk about giving everything they've got! 👏
Gotta love the effort from both 🇯🇵@nandakandakouya and 🇨🇳 Yibigule! #RoadToUFC pic.twitter.com/efqGBZp5Z6
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) May 27, 2023
Seung Guk Choi def. Sumit Kumar
Result: Seung Guk Choi def. Sumit Kumar via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Updated records: Kanda (12-4), Yibugele (22-12-1)
Weight class: Flyweight
Referee: Thomas Fan
BY UNANIMOUS DECISION! 🗣️
🇰🇷 Seung Guk Choi gets the job done and makes his way to the #RoadToUFC semi-finals! pic.twitter.com/2RtOUHPgmF
— UFC_Asia (@UFC_Asia) May 27, 2023
Kaiwen Li def. Kai Lu
Result: Kaiwen Li def. Kai Lu via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:11
Updated records: Li (11-5), Lu (8-5)
Weight class: Featherweight
Referee: Marc Goddard
Fireworks for as long as it lasted! 🧨 #RoadToUFC pic.twitter.com/qmqoxlKzl8
— UFC (@ufc) May 27, 2023