Road to UFC is a recurring mixed martial arts (MMA) event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Overview
editStructured into "seasons" and "episodes," it features a number of fighter weight divisions—each for which fighters compete in a "win-and-advance" tournament format.[1] Each event in the series, or "episode," features one bout for each division tournament, and one non-tournament bout.[2][3][4] The opening quarterfinal round is typically held hosting four events over a two-day span, with two episodes for each day. The semifinal round is held a few months later. Each season culminates with the tournament finals, which take place during preliminary card of a UFC Fight Night event. The tournament winner for each division is awarded a UFC contract.
The "Road to UFC" branding was previously used in 2015 for Road to UFC: Japan, a similar Japan-based tournament awarding a UFC contract, but formatted as a reality competition, and marketed as an Asian-centric analog to The Ultimate Fighter.[2] Despite the reuse of the "Road to UFC" brand, similar Asian MMA focus, and season/episode nomenclature, the UFC has not characterized the newer event series as inclusive of the earlier 2015 reality competition, and has described the 2022 tournament cycle as the "inaugural tournament," referring to it as "Season 1".[5]
Seasons
edit| Name | Start Date | End Date | Venue | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 3 | May 18, 2024 | UFC Performance Institute Shanghai | Shanghai, China | [6] | |
| UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||
| Season 2 | May 27, 2023 | June 22, 2024 | UFC Performance Institute Shanghai | Shanghai, China | [7] |
| Singapore Indoor Stadium | Kallang, Singapore | ||||
| UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||
| Kingdom Arena | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Season 1 | June 8, 2022 | February 4, 2023 | Singapore Indoor Stadium | Kallang, Singapore | [8] |
| Etihad Arena | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | ||||
| UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
Tournament winners
edit| Name | Finale | Division | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road to UFC Season 1 | Feb 4, 2023 | Lightweight |  Anshul Jubli
|
 Jeka Saragih
|
| Featherweight |  Lee Jeong-yeong
|
 Yi Zha
| ||
| Bantamweight |  Rinya Nakamura
|
Toshiomi Kazama
| ||
| Flyweight | Park Hyun-sung
|
Choi Seung-guk
| ||
| Road to UFC Season 2 | Feb 3, 2024 | Lightweight | Rong Zhu
|
Shin Haraguchi
|
| Featherweight | Yi Zha
|
Li Kaiwen
| ||
| Flyweight | Rei Tsuruya
|
Ji Niushiyue
| ||
| Jun 22, 2024 | Bantamweight | Lee Chang-ho
|
Xiao Long
| |
| Road to UFC Season 3 | Nov 23, 2024 | Bantamweight | You Su-young
|
Baergeng Jieleyisi
|
| Flyweight | Choi Dong-hun
|
 Kiru Singh Sahota
| ||
| Women's Strawweight | Shi Ming
|
Feng Xiaocan
| ||
| TBD | Featherweight |
|
|
References
edit- ^ See single-elimination tournament.
- ^ a b Pettry, Jay (22 April 2022). "UFC Launching 'Road to UFC' Tourney in Singapore, Featuring 4 Brackets in June". Sherdog. Retrieved 2022-05-03.
- ^ "ROAD TO UFC Opening Round Bouts Announced | Taiwan News | 2022-05-23 10:00:00". Taiwan News. 2022-05-23. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
- ^ Tabuena, Anton (2022-05-23). "Road to UFC: Four Asian tournament brackets, non-tournament bouts finalized". Bloody Elbow. Retrieved 2022-05-23.
- ^ "Road To UFC Returns For Season 2 With Opening Round On May 27 & 28 | UFC". www.ufc.com. 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Anderson, Jay (23 April 2024). "Road to UFC Season 3 Tournament Announced, Women's Strawweight Added". Cageside Press. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
- ^ "Road To UFC Season 2 Kicked Off With Intense Quarterfinals". International Business Times. 2023-05-28. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Cox, Susan (2022-04-22). "The UFC officially announce the "Road to the UFC" Tournament in Singapore leading up to UFC 275". | BJPenn.com. Retrieved 2022-04-25.