Following the successful format of Season 2, the opening round of Season 3 of ROAD TO UFC is set to unfold on May 18 and 19 at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China. This pioneering "win and advance" tournament offers top MMA prospects from Asia a direct pathway to UFC contracts.
The third season of ROAD TO UFC introduces the women's strawweight division, adding to the existing men’s flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight categories. The competition will feature 32 mixed martial arts athletes across these four weight classes, along with additional non-tournament bouts to expand opportunities for emerging fighters.
To date, eleven participants from the first two seasons have earned UFC contracts, including seven tournament winners, two finalists, and two victors from non-tournament bouts. This season promises to continue the tradition of showcasing and advancing top talent in the sport.
The opening round of the tournament will be broadcast live in prime time across Asia from the UFC PI Shanghai, leveraging cutting-edge remote production technology to connect seamlessly with the UFC APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The schedule for the opening episodes is as follows:
Episode 1 – May 18
Welterweight non-tournament: Bahatebole Batebolati vs Han Seul Kim
Women's Strawweight: Feier Huang vs Miki Motono, and Feng Xiaocan vs Kiran Singh
Featherweight: Shin Haraguchi vs JunYoung Hong, and Zhu Kangjie vs Tatsuya Ando
Episode 2 – May 18
Women's Flyweight non-tournament: Wang Cong vs Paula Luna
Women's Strawweight: Priya Sharma vs Dong Huaxiang, and Shi Ming vs YeDam Seo
Featherweight: Masuto Kawana vs Young Jae Song, and Xie Bin vs Yibugele
Episode 3 – May 19
Lightweight non-tournament: WonBin Ki vs Tatsuya Saika
Flyweight: Jiniushiyue vs Dong Hoon Choi, and John Almanza vs Angad Bisht
Bantamweight: Soo Young Yoo vs Shohei Nose, and Daermisi Zhawupasi vs Ren Ozaki
Episode 4 – May 19
Women's Flyweight non-tournament: Yan Qihui vs Lisa Kyriacou
Flyweight: Ruel Panales vs Toki Matsui, and Kiru Singh Sahota vs Yin Shuai
Bantamweight: Kyusung Kim vs Tokitaka Nakanishi, and Baergeng Jieleyisi vs Li Yunfeng
The ROAD TO UFC Season 3 will take place before a live audience, with venue details announced prior to each event. The season's culmination will feature finals during a UFC Fight Night, where winners from each division will be awarded UFC contracts.
This season continues to highlight the global expansion and talent development within the UFC, spotlighting Asia's rising stars in the sport of mixed martial arts.