The fourth season of the grand prix-style tournament once again offers a pipeline to the UFC for some of Asia’s up-and-coming fighters. Rinya Nakamura, Rong Zhu, and Hyun Sung Park are among previous winners. This week’s events will be held at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China, and we’ve scouted them for you!

Bantamweight, Peter Danesoe (8-3) Vs. Sulangrangbo (8-3)

Peter Danesoe

This will mark Danesoe’s third appearance on Road to UFC, but his first as part of the tournament bracket. When I initially scouted him, the main concerns were his takedown defense and cardio. The takedown defense still needs work, and his cardio hasn’t been pushed recently, so that remains an open question.

That said, at just 24 years old, Danesoe has clear upside and continues to show improvement. While he can wrestle and grapple, those skills tend to shine more against lower-level competition. His clinch work is the standout aspect of his game—he’s dangerous with knees from the inside and explosive when throwing them mid-transition.

His striking has also been developing, particularly his use of the one-two and straight punches. Danesoe is an exciting, athletic fighter with a high ceiling—he just needs more reps against solid opposition to keep evolving.

Sulangrangbo

Sulangrangbo is a bit of a mystery due to the lack of quality tape and weak competition he’s faced. From what’s available, he appears to be a pure striker—technical, composed, and capable of throwing some unorthodox attacks.

His leg dexterity stands out, as he frequently utilizes wheel kicks, ax kicks, hook kicks, and other tricky strikes. However, he’s at his most dangerous when using his hands, particularly his right hand, which he employs effectively both as a lead and a counter.

His best attribute is his ability to move in and out while landing counters, making him a difficult target and a dangerous opponent to rush in on. It’s hard to gauge just how good he truly is, but he’s earned this opportunity—now we’ll get a clearer picture of his potential.

Prediction: Coming into this breakdown, I expected to side with Danesoe, but after analyzing the matchup, that’s not the case. Both fighters are primarily strikers, and while Danesoe has some grappling, I don’t see it being a major factor here.

Danesoe does his best work in the clinch, but securing prolonged exchanges there against the elusive Sulangrangbo will be a challenge. To win, he’d need to either neutralize Sulangrangbo’s movement or land something significant to slow him down.

The key factor is size. Sulangrangbo is the naturally bigger fighter, while Danesoe is moving up from 125 for Road to UFC Season 4. While I see more long-term potential in Danesoe, he’ll be at a disadvantage in terms of physicality, speed, and power. My pick is Sulangrangbo by decision.

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Taking place in Shanghai, China, Road to UFC 2 Episode 4 once again featured five fights in total, with the four tournament bouts joined by a featured flyweight fight. That match-up saw talented Singaporean standout Sim Kai Xiong paired up with Peter Danesoe.

Xiong was a perfect 5-0 to start the night, while opponent Danesoe boasted a 5-2 record that included a win on ONE Championship’s ONE Friday Fights series earlier this year. Thailand’s Danesoe had not, in fact, lost a fight since dropping the first two bouts of his professional career.

Also in action, South Korean standout Ki Won Bin, a 25-fight veteran who had appeared as part of the inaugural Road to UFC run.

Road to UFC 2: Episode 2 is available to stream live on UFC Fight Pass kicking off at 8AM ET on Saturday, May 28, 2023. Full results from the card can be found below.

Road to UFC 2: Episode 4 Results

Lightweight Tournament Bout: Bahatebole Batebolati def. Won Bin Ki by DQ (illegal strikes), Round 2, 2:22
Bantamweight Tournament Bout: Chang Ho Lee def. Rana Rudra Pratap Singh by TKO, Round 1, 3:52
Lightweight Tournament Bout: Shin Haraguchi def. Windri Patilima by TKO, Round 2, 1:25
Bantamweight Tournament Bout: Daermisi Zhawupasi def. Eperaim Ginting by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 0:58
Flyweight Bout: Peter Danesoe def. Sim Kai Xiong by knockout (flying knee), Round 1, 4:23

The post Road to UFC 2: Episode 4 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Episode 4 of the opening round goes down Saturday, May 28 starting at 8AM ET on UFC Fight Pass, and we’ve got a look at what to expect!

Lightweight, Bahatebole Batebolati Vs. Ki Won Bin

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Prediction: Bin was on the inaugural season of Road to UFC and lost in the second round. Batebolati was unknown until last year, which saw him fighting twice for LFA. He’s coming off a win but it’s a fight I thought he clearly lost. So he should be on a two-fight skid.

Batebolati doesn’t show anything to write home about. He has a decent gas tank but that’s fine when you are barely throwing anything. Bin is better in every area and I would be surprised if he lost this fight.

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