A pair of debuting featherweights faced off as part of the UFC Macau preliminary card on Saturday, with Zhu Kangjie facing off against Rodrigo Vera.
China’s own Zhu was a 25-fight veteran and had previously competed on Road to UFC, as well as for ONE Championship. Vera, hailing from Peru, also had over 20 fights on the regional circuit. He’d been circling a spot on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter, didn’t land a spot, but jumped straight to the UFC anyway.
The two debutants got things started on the feet, with the opening minutes bringing chaos inside the Octagon. Zhu Kangjie threatened early, working behind his jab and bouncing in and out of the pocket as the crowd rallied behind the hometown fighter.
It didn’t take long for Rodrigo Vera to change the momentum. Around the three-minute mark of the first round, Vera caught Zhu with a heavy left hook that badly hurt him. He followed up with clean ground-and-pound shots, eventually securing the knockout victory in his UFC debut.
With the win, Rodrigo Vera improves to 22-1-1 and extends his winning streak to 14 straight. On the other side, Zhu Kangjie drops his promotional debut, falling to 21-5.
Official Result: Rodrigo Vera def. Zhu Kangjie by TKO, Round 1, 1:50
