Road to UFC vet Rong Zhu (Rongzhu) returned to action at UFC Shanghai on Saturday, where he took on Austin Hubbard in lightweight action.
After winning his way back into the UFC via The Ultimate Fighter 31, Hubbard was in danger of losing his roster spot once again, having lost the last two fights of his second stint with the company.
Hubbard started the fight out pressing forward with a two punch combination followed by a head kick. Rongzhu circled away to the center of the cage, but ate a nice uppercut from Hubbard on the inside. Starting to find a home for his right hand, Rongzhu was now on the aggressive. Hubbard shot in for a takedown with a minute left in the round, dragging Rongzhu to the floor. Hubbard controlled Rongzhu against the fence briefly, until the fighters exchanged blows at the bell. The late takedown from Hubbard may have swayed the round, but it was highly competitive.
The second started fast as Rongzhu marched forward looking to find a home for a right hand. Telegraphing the shot, Hubbard ducked under a punch and landed his second takedown of the fight. Hubbard was able to land each of his takedowns with ease, but Rongzhu scrambled to his feet moments later. When standing, Rongzhu seemed to be the fresher fighter landing a three punch combination. Hubbard showed very low output on the feet as the total strikes of Rongzhu continued to climb. Shooting in for another takedown, Hubbard tried to grab a leg but was unsuccessful on his attempt. This was another close round could have gone either way.
In the third round, Rongzhu found a home for two big right hands early. Hubbard shot in for a takedown but could not grab ahold of his opponent. A straight right hand connected clean for Rongzhu in the middle of the cage as both fighter traded blows. Midway through the round Hubbard was hit with a right hand and immediately attempted a takedown, but was unsuccessful again. With a minute left Hubbard seemed to be tiring as his takedowns were no longer working. Rongzhu landed a good left hook followed by a right hand that should have won him the round. After three rounds the judges would decide who deserved the victory.
All three judges scored the fight unanimously for China’s Rongzhu who got a massive win at home in front of his loyal supporters. Rongzhu credited his father in his post fight interview and hopes to bring motivation to his teammates with this victory.
Official Result: Rong Zhu def. Austin Hubbard by unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 29–28)
