Road To UFC
Finale Preview | Road to UFC Season 3
Casting A Spotlight On The Six Competitors Fighting In The Three RTU Tournament Finals This Weekend In Macau
The finals of three of the four Road to UFC Season 3 tournaments take place this weekend in Macau, as six hopefuls head into the Octagon hoping to earn a place on the UFC roster heading into 2025.
Over the first two seasons, the Asia-focused talent search series has produced a number of promising talents and served as the vehicle for carrying one former prospect back to the main roster, with Rinya Nakamura, HyunSung Park, and Rei Tsuruya being joined by the returning Rongzhu as intriguing names to follow in their respective divisions after claiming tournament victories.
While this season’s featherweight finale between Zhu Kangjie and Xie Bin has been delayed, the matchups in the three remaining weight classes offer fascinating matchups and competitors that have shown a great deal of promise in advancing to this point.
Here’s a closer look at those matchups as we prepare to (mostly) put a bow on Road to UFC: Season 3.
Bantamweight Finale: Baergeng Jieleyisi vs SuYoung You
The bantamweight finale features a clash between two of the more experienced competitors to make the walk this season, as China’s Baergeng Jieleyisi takes on South Korea’s SuYoung You.
After landing on the wrong side of a split decision result in the opening round on Season 2, Baergeng posted a pair of victories on the regional circuit before entering the Season 3 fray. Following a technical submission win over Li Yunfeng in the quarterfinals, he claimed his spot in this weekend’s finale with a unanimous decision victory over Tokitaki Nakanishi in the semifinals in August.
The 28-year-old You entered the tournament having gone 1-1 with a pair of no contests in his previous four fights but impressed straight out of the gate with a unanimous decision win over returning Japanese competitor Shohei Nose to advance to the semis. He edged out Daermisi Zhawupasi on the scorecards in August to advance, pushing his record to 13-3 in the process.
The bantamweight competition has historically been the toughest through the first two seasons and it was no different in Season 3, as each of these men battled hard to reach the finale on Saturday. Nakamura has looked great since winning the Season 1 tournament, while ChangHo Lee has yet to make his post-tournament debut after punching his ticket to the main roster earlier this year, so it will be interesting to see who emerges victorious here and how they eventually integrate into the fold in the talent-rich division.
Flyweight Finale: Kiru Singh Sahota vs DongHun Choi
Kiru Singh Sahota and DongHun Choi meet in a fascinating bout to determine the winner of the flyweight competition.
Singh Sahota is an anomaly for the division — a long and lanky striker standing five-foot-10 with a 73-inch reach that will give him a considerable size advantage on most of his opposition going forward. Fighting out of Manchester Top Team, the 29-year-old has amassed a 12-2 record overall with victories on the scorecards in both the quarterfinals and semifinals this season.
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A perfect 8-0 to begin his professional career, Choi has advanced to the finals with a pair of split decision wins, having edged out Jiniushiyue in the quarterfinals and Angad Bisht in the semis in August. The Double G FC flyweight champ has gone the distance in five of his eight bouts, and will look to get inside in order to do work against the rangier Singh Sahota on Saturday.
Will Manchester claim another spot on the roster or can Choi maintain his winning ways and follow in the footsteps of Park and Tsuruya in winning the Road to UFC flyweight tournament?
Strawweight Finale: Shi Ming vs Feng Xiaocan
Chinese standouts Shi Ming and Feng Xiaocan share the Octagon in the strawweight finale this weekend in Macau.
The 30-year-old Shi advanced with a unanimous decision win over YeDam Seo in the quarters and a split decision victory over Dong Huaxiang. The Kunming native has won four straight and 10 of her last 11 appearances heading into Saturday’s clash, showing an ability to navigate tough bouts and find a way to finish the night with her hand raised in victory far more often than not.
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Just 22 years old, Feng is the most intriguing prospect to compete on Season 3, having already amassed a 10-2 record, including a first-round stoppage win over Kiran Singh in the quarterfinals, and a second victory over Miki Motono in three fights to reach the finals. A winner of eight straight overall, her only setbacks came very early in her career against far more experienced competition, including UFC alum Liang Na.
The strawweight division is flush with talent and each of these women have looked more than capable of joining the fold and finding success. Expect a highly competitive affair between these two promising talents as they look to become the first female fighter to earn a Road to UFC tournament victory.
UFC Fight Night: Yan vs Figueiredo took place live from Galaxy Arena in Macau, China on November 23, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
