The Road to UFC tournament is back for another year and aims to give top prospects a chance to impress the UFC brass in an attempt to earn a contract with the company. The show’s premiere takes place on May 22 and 23, and streams live on UFC Fight Pass from the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai in China.
- Peter Danesoe (8-3, Bangtao Muay Thai & MMA, Thailand)
- Rui Imura (12-4, Nexusense, Japan)
- Kuya Ito (17-8-1, Brave Gym, Japan)
- Su Langrangbo (8-3, Enbo Fight Club, China)
- Lawrence Lui (5-1, City Kickboxing, New Zealand)
- Van Y Nghiem (5-1, Unknown, Vietnam)
- Haitao Ti (16-6, Haoyue Fight Gym, China)
- Sim Kai Xiong (6-1, Matrix MMA, Singapore)
A 16-fight Pancrase veteran, Rui Imura looks to be the man to beat in this bantamweight tournament. He’s lost his most high-profile fights for the most part, but he’s improved greatly in recent years. He is a very good submission wrestler, which will be a strong base in this tournament. He has plenty of advantageous matchups in this Road to UFC.
A veteran of a previous Road to UFC already, Thailand’s Peter Danesoe is typical of Thai fighters, even if they are in MMA. He’s a strong striker that likes to keep things on the feet. Though he has some submission wins, showing he’s not completely one-dimensional, Danesoe’s biggest weakness is defensive grappling, where he’s been subbed in two of his three losses. He already owns a win over a fellow participant in this tournament in Sim Kai Xiong and has big-show experience, so that should aid him at making a run at this season’s title.
The biggest longshot of the season is Vietnam’s Van Y Nghiem, as Vietnam does not really have a developed MMA system in place, nor do they have a reputation for shipping out top talent. Nghiem is one of the best the country has to offer, as he’s the Lion Championship Champion. He has strong striking, as showcased in his three knockouts, but could be exposed by a grappler given his limited ground ability.
Kuya Ito is the most experienced fighter in this tournament, which is going to be advantage for him when the cage door closes. He’s fought for Rizin, but his best work has been done in Grachan, where he is the bantamweight champion. He is a kill-or-be-killed fighter, as he looks to finish the fight or get finished attempting to do so. That will undoubtedly make him an exciting prospect to watch.
Su Langrangbo is another longshot in this tournament, as he has three losses to guys making their MMA debuts. He has succeeded and faltered to low-level talent, which says to me that he’s gonna be fighting an uphill battle here.
Lawrence Lui is a late replacement in the tournament, but represents a top gym in City Kickboxing. He’s shared the cage to Contender Series vet Anthony Drilich, a bout he lost by split decision. That said, he’s a solid striker and could surprise some in this tournament.
Haitao Ti is another greatly experienced fighter who has feasted on subpar talent, but faltered when stepping up in competition. He has shared the cage with UFC vets Xiao Long and Batgerel Danaa, where he was finished by TKO and submission, respectively. Ti is a finisher with 10 knockouts and five submissions, showing he’s rounded. He still has to prove he can succeed against more seasoned talent.
Finally, Sim Kai Xiong is another Road to UFC veteran who has also performed for the respected Brave CF. In Road to UFC, he was viciously knocked out by Peter Danesoe, who was previously mentioned as also being in this tournament. Xiong has some good potential and that was on display in his unanimous decision win over Chang Ho Lee.