An Ultimate Fighter finalist in Season 32, Australia’s Ofli was looking for his second victory inside the octagon. Zha, who had made multiple Road to UFC appearances, was also looking to secure his second win in the promotion.

Ofli put the pressure on early in the fight, taking Zha to the cage and taking him down. Yi Zha reversed, but Ofli scrambled free, and soon found himself back on top. The fight wouldn’t stay grounded, and Ofli was able to pressure again, finally cracking Zha with a right hand with all of 90 seconds left on the clock. Zha was stopped in his tracks, but didn’t go down, somehow surviving the sledgehammer blow. Later in the round, Zha would let his own power show, hurting Ofli.

Round two saw Ofli on the hunt, but it was Yi Zha sitting him down with a left hook all of 30 seconds in. Zha made the mistake of engaging with Ofli on  the ground, though they’d get back up, Ofli clearly compromised, on wobbly legs and taking more damage. Ofli ripped a kick to the body, but Zha caught it and dumped him; as Ofli came back up, Zha cracked him with an elbow.

Ofli did survive, but he continued to take damage as the round progressed. Kaan would shoot a takedown out of desperation in the second, buying himself some time, but he couldn’t complete it. Soon enough, Zha had broken free. A right hook smashed into Ofli’s face. But he’d make it to the horn.

Round three saw Ofli rip the body with a kick. He briefly flashed a level change, but thought better of it. Zha landed a right hand. A much more closely contested round, and one in which Ofli may or may not have needed a finish. Certainly round two was Zha’s. Round one was very possibly Ofli’s, but could the second have been a 10-8? Late in the third, Zha landed a takedown. Ofli escaped, and connected with an elbow in the clinch. Another takedown for Zha followed; he briefly took the back. They’d fight to the horn, with Ofli getting the nod on the scorecards. Something of a surprise, given Zha’s takedowns in the third.

The outcome led to immediate criticism, both from the UFC’s broadcast team, and from fans online feeling Zha had been robbed. As always, don’t leave it in the hands of the judges.

Official Result: Kaan Ofli def. Yi Zha by majority decision (29-28, 28-28, 29-28)

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China’s Zha, quite obviously with the crowd behind him on Saturday, was a Road to UFC winner who was looking to bounce back from a loss to Gabriel Santos. Wilson, meanwhile, had actually requested to fight overseas in China, a decision he would ultimately live to regret, not far into Saturday’s opening round.

Zha was on the attack early, and it wasn’t long before Wilson was rocked with a left hand! He went down, and looked compromised. Zha stayed on him, and although Wilson would climb back to his feet, he didn’t stay standing long. Yi Zha swarmed, firing wild punches in a blitzkrieg-like attack that saw Wilson slump back down to the canvas. This time, Wilson was unable to recover, and the ref soon moved in to make the save.

The win over Wilson gives Yi Zha his first in the UFC proper after his run on Road to UFC. Following the fight, Zha stated that he’d followed the game plan he’d outlined during training camp for the taller Westin Wilson. He added thanks to his team – “without my team’s support, I would not be here today,” said Zha, before calling for a bonus.

Official Result: Yi Zha def. Westin Wilson by knockout, Round 1, 0:37

The post UFC Shanghai: Yi Zha Fells Westin Wilson in Blitzkrieg-Like Finish appeared first on Cageside Press.

Unfortunately, due to an injury to Xiao Long, the bantamweight finale featuring Long against Chang Ho Lee has been postponed. A new date has yet to be announced by the promotion.

In the meantime, the other three tournament finals were set to go down on Feb. 3, 2024 at the UFC Apex, following the UFC Vegas 85 Fight Night card. Those finals included one existing UFC alum, Zhu Rong, who was looking to reclaim a spot in the promotion after being released by the company in 2022 after posting a 1-2 record.

Unlike The Ultimate Fighter, all of the Road to UFC 2 fights count as professional MMA contests on the athletes’ records. The 8-man tournament has featured some of the top talents in Asia looking to break into the UFC.

Where to Watch Road to UFC 2

The tournament wraps up on Saturday, February 3, 2024 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass kicking off at 11:30PM ET, 8:30PM PT. Full results from the card can be found below.

Road to UFC 2 Final Results

Yi Zha def. Li Kai Wen via R1 SUB (Arm Bar), 3:03 — featherweight final
Rei Tsuruya def. Ji Niushiyue via R1 TKO, 4:59 — flyweight final
Rong Zhu def. Shin Haraguchi via R3 SUB (RNC)3:06 — lightweight final

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Road to UFC 2 Episode 5 consisted of five fights — semifinal action for the featherweight and flyweight divisions, plus a featured flyweight bout to round out the event. Some familiar names adorned the card, including Li Kaiwen, a Chinese featherweight who had a 12-fight run for ONE Championship from 2014 to 2021.

After missing all of 2022, he returned to defeat Lu Kai in the opening round of Road to UFC 2, and was now two wins away from earning a spot in the UFC — paired up with Japan’s Kouya Kanda.

Seung Guk Choi, who went to the flyweight final in the first Road to UFC tournament before losing to Hyun Sung Park, was also back. Next up for Choi was China’s “Little King Kong,” Jiniushiyue.

Road to UFC 2 Episode 5 goes down Sunday, August 27, 2023 kicking off at 4AM ET. The event airs live on UFC Fight Pass; full results can be found below.

Road To UFC 2 Episode 5 Results

Featherweight Bout: Li Kaiwen def. Kouya Kanda by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Flyweight Bout: Jiniushiyue def. Seung Guk Choi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Featherweight Bout: Yi Zha def. Sang Won Kim by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Flyweight Bout: Rei Tsuruya def. Mark Climaco by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-27)
Flyweight Bout: Nyamjargal Tumendemberel def. Peter Danesoe by technical submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:02

The post Road to UFC 2 Episode 5 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Let’s take a look at all five bouts on the card, which takes place on August 27, streaming live on UFC Fight Pass!

Featherweight, Li Kaiwen Vs. Kouya Kanda

Tale of the tape

Pros and Cons

Prediction: Kanada was underwhelming coming into the tournament and in his first fight he really didn’t show anything positive. He went to a decision in a very unforgettable fight.

Kaiwen on the other hand was dynamite in this first-round fight getting a quick knockout win. Kanda is low-volume and very patient in his approach. Kaiwen is the complete opposite as he will take it to Kanada fast and hard.

Kaiwen has some concerns defensively but it’s nothing I expect Kanda to exploit. Kanada doesn’t have any power to crack the chin of Kaiwen and his wrestling won’t be good enough. I feel good about picking Kaiwen for an early knockout.

The post Road to UFC 2: Episode 5 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

Episode 1 of the opening round goes down Friday, May 27 starting at 6AM ET on UFC Fight Pass, and we’ve got a look at what to expect!

Featherweight, Keisuke Sasu Vs. Sang Won Kim

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

I didn’t expect much out of Kim prior to seeing footage of him. A 9-5-1 record is off-putting but I enjoyed his tape. Obviously, he’s not at a high level because he wouldn’t be up and down on the South Korean scene if he was. However, Kim is a really good dangerous striker although defensively in all areas, he has a lot of deficiencies.

Sasu isn’t as fun to watch but has more basics. I’m not even sure why Kim is getting this fight considering his record and losing his last fight. I would like to pick Kim because he’s the more appealing fighter but the logical choice is Sasu. The wrestling and cardio I think will be the difference for Sasu to get his hand raised.

The post Road to UFC 2: Episode 1 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.

While Zha had a significant edge in experience, it was Lee riding the longer win streak into Saturday’s showdown, that had a UFC contract hanging in the balance. Lee had won his last six fights to start the night; Zha boasted 25 fights as a pro for his part, with three straight wins prior to UFC Vegas 68.

Right away in round one Lee landed a right hand forcing Zha to shoot in. Lee defended very well against the cage but Zha was not letting go. Zha eventually worked to the legs and got Lee down. Against the cage, Lee was able to eventually get back up but gave up his back. Lee defended perfectly and landed a few elbows to the side of the head of Zha. Zha was very strong in the clinch grinding away at Lee. Zha kept working on the takedowns but Lee showed perfect takedown defense. Lee finally got space but it was at the end of the round.

In round two, things started with pressure from Lee. It wasn’t long until Zha shot in on the legs to get the takedown. He jumped on the back which looked bad but Lee escaped. Lee landed a nice elbow on the break. Zha landed the biggest shot of the fight with a big right hand snapping the head back of Lee. Lee took it and then defended a takedown right after. Half way into the round Lee was looking tired. He still was landing some uppercuts while defending the takedowns. A little over a minute left Zha timed a shot very well getting the takedown. Lee landed an illegal up kick but the fight was restarted on the feet. The last little bit in the round not much happened.

In the final round, Lee had Zha in some trouble in the opening combination. Zha recovered and was still throwing well but it was always striking to wrestle. Lee would defend and push Zha away. Lee landed a big right hand that stunned Zha. Zha shot in and took the back but was too high and slipped off the back. Lee made the mistake of going for an armbar and lost position. He was able to get back up but Zha took him right back down. Lee did get back up and pressed but was taken down again right at the bell.

Going to the scorecards, the end result was a split decision favoring Jeong-Yeong Lee. He claims the Road to UFC featherweight crown.

It was close, but JeongYeong Lee is officially your #RoadToUFC featherweight contract winner! 👏

[ #UFCVegas68 | Live now on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/WFSEeyWnsD

— UFC (@ufc) February 5, 2023

Official Result: Jeong-Yeong Lee def. Yi Zha by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

The post UFC Vegas 68: Jeong-Yeong Lee Takes Close Decision Over Yi Zha in Road to UFC Featherweight Final appeared first on Cageside Press.

In addition, a featured featherweight fight was scheduled for Road to UFC 5. That fight saw Japan’s Keisuke Sasu take on Ba Lajin of China. Sasu had been defeated by Yi Zha earlier in the tournament, but was getting a second chance to impress UFC officials on Sunday.

Road to UFC 5 takes place Sunday, October 23, 2022 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass, getting underway at 7AM ET. Full results can be found below.

Road to UFC 5 Results

Featherweight: Yi Zha def. Koyomi Matsushima via split decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) – Road to UFC Semifinal
Flyweight: Choi Seung Guk def. Qiu Lun via unanimous decision (29-28×3) – Road to UFC Semifinal
Lightweight: Jeka Saragih def. Won Bi Ki via R1 KO – Road to UFC Semifinal
Bantamweight: Toshiomi Kazama vs. Kim Min Woo – Road to UFC Semifinal *
Featherweight: Keisuke Sasu def. Ba Lajin via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

* Toshiomi Kazama vs. Kim Min Woo canceled following weigh-ins. Kazama advances to the next round.

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Road to UFC 1 featured four opening round bouts in the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight tournaments, with winners moving on in the hopes of securing a roster spot in the UFC proper. As well, one standalone bout was featured, in this case a light heavyweight match-up between George Tokkos and China’s Zhang Mingyang.

Among the standouts on the Road to UFC 1 card, South Korea’s Ki Won Bin looked to be the favorite against Japan’s Jinnosuke Kashimura. Bin had fought some solid competition in the past, while Kashimura took the lightweight fight on very short notice. That should give Bin the upper hand, even if his chin has been brought into question in the past.

The Road to UFC 1 card gets underway at 2:30AM ET on Thursday, June 9, 2022, live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Full results from the five-fight card can be found below.

Road to UFC 1 Results

Yi Zha def. Keisuke Sasu by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:14
Ki Won Bin def. Jinnosuke Kashimura by TKO (elbows), Round 1, 4:45
Toshiomi Kazama def. Keremuaili Maimaitituoheti by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Choi Seung Guk def. Rama Supandhi by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Zhang Mingyang def. George Tokkos by knockout, Round 1, 3:57

The post Road to UFC 1 Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

It’s win and advance, with the winner in each weight class getting a shot at the UFC. The opening round will feature four installments, each featuring one fight in each weight class and a single non-tournament bout.

Not sure who’s who out of the Asian prospects featured, including fighters representing China, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and more? We’ve got you covered!

Featherweight: Yi Zha Vs. Keisuke Sasu

Tale of the Tape

Pros and Cons

Prediction: Both these fighters are good prospects but to me, only one really stands out, that being the younger Yi Zha. Sasu is more of a wrestler and although he is the more physical athlete, Zha is slicker.

On the feet, Zha is faster, has better footwork, better kickboxing, and is even better defensively. Zha has been dropped in a few of his fights but Sasu doesn’t have the closing speed to do that. If he does connect I’m not confident he has the closing ability to put the fight away. As a wrestler I strongly favor Zha. Most of the takedowns from Sasu come from the clinch and Zha can wrestle from all areas.

The biggest factor is the jiu-jitsu of Zha. Zha is much better at moving into dominant positions and creating scrambles. He’s a much better submission grappler and can make if difficult for Sasu even if he was on top. I like Zha as he has more weapons and is better everywhere.

The post Road to UFC: Episode 1 Breakdown and Predictions appeared first on Cageside Press.