Road To UFC 2023: Brackets, Card, Dates, Start Time

ByMohit Raghuwanshi
Road To UFC Poster

Road to UFC 2023 is an MMA event series held by UFC to recruit top Asian prospects. Under the series, the promotion will hold tournaments in flyweight, featherweight, bantamweight and lightweight weight classes with the winners getting an UFC contract. This second such series by UFC after Road to UFC 2022.

A total of 6 episodes will air under the series comprising quarterfinals and semifinals bout in all these weight divisions. Episodes 1 to 4 aired from UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China, on May 27 and 28, and featured quarterfinal bouts. Episodes 5 and 6 are currently expected to air from Singapore in early September. The final bouts of these tournaments are expected to take place on another UFC card, possibly taking place in Asia.

Check below for details on Road to UFC 2023 series with complete fight cards, results, tournament brackets, and more details.

Episode 1

Date: May 27, 2023
Start Time: 6:00 a.m. EST
Location: UFC Performance Institute, Shanghai, China

  • Keisuke Sasu (Japan) vs Sang Won Kim (Korea) – Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Sang Won Kim won via KO (right hand) at 1:42 of round 2
  • Mark Climaco (Philippines) vs Jung Hyun Lee (South Korea) – Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Mark Climaco won via unanimous decision(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Yi Zha (China) vs Abdul Azeem Badakhshi (Afghanistan) – Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Zha Yi won via submission(armbar) at 2:28 of round 1
  • Rei Tsuruya (Japan) vs Ronal Siahaan (Indonesia) – Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Rei Tsuruya won via submission(kimura) at 3:41 of round 2
  • Top Noi Kiwram (Thailand) vs Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (Mongolia) – Flyweight Bout
    • Nyamjargal Tumendemberel won via split decision(29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

Episode 2

Date: May 27, 2023
Start Time: 8:00 a.m. EST
Location: UFC Performance Institute, Shanghai, China

  • Kaiwen Li (China) vs Kai Lu (China) – Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Kaiwen Li def. Kai Lu via KO at 1:11 of round 2
  • Sumit Kumar (India) vs SeungGuk Choi (Japan) – Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Seung Guk Choi won via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Kouya Kanda (Japan) vs Yibugele (China) – Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Kouya Kanda won via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
  • Ji Niushiyue (China) vs Billy Pasulatan (Indonesia) – Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Jiniushiyue won via TKO (punches) at 1:56 of round 1
  • Taiyilake Nueraji (China) vs Han Seul Kim (South Korea) – Welterweight Bout
    • Taiyilake Nueraji won via KO (Elbow) at 1:38 of round 2

Episode 3

Date: May 28, 2023
Start Time: 6:00 a.m. EST
Location: UFC Performance Institute, Shanghai, China

  • Zhu Rong vs Sung Chan Hong – Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Zhu Rong won via TKO at 2:17 in round 1
  • Shuya Kamikubo vs Baergeng Jieleyisi – Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Shuya Kamikubo won via split decision(30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Kazuma Maruyama vs Sang Uk Kim – Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Sang Uk Kim won via submission (D’arce choke) at 3:08 of round 1
  • Long Xiao vs Shohei Nose – Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Long Xiao won via Split decision(29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
  • Chris Hofmann vs Sang Hoon Yoo – Welterweight Bout
    • Sang Hoon Yoo won via TKO (knee and punches) at 3:10 of round 3

Episode 4

Date: May 28, 2023
Start Time: 8:00 a.m. EST
Location: UFC Performance Institute, Shanghai, China

  • Won Bin Ki vs Bahatebole Batebolati – Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Bahatebole Batebolati won via disqualification at 2:22 of round 2
  • Chang Ho Lee vs R. Singh – Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Chang Ho Lee won via TKO (Strike) at 3:52 of round 1
  • Windri Patilima vs Shin Haraguchi – Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Shin Haraguchi won via TKO at 1:25 in Round 2
  • Eperaim Ginting vs Daermisi Zhawupasi – Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal Bout
    • Daermisi Zhawupasi won via submission(rear-naked choke) at 0:58 of Round 1
  • Sim Kai Xiong vs Peter Danesoe – Flyweight Bout
    • Peter Danesoe won via KO at 4:23 in round 1

Tournament Brackets

Flyweight

  • Rei Tsuruya def. Ronal Siahaan – Quarterfinal 1
  • Mark Climaco def. Jung Hyun Lee – Quarterfinal 2
  • Jiniushiyue def. Billy Pasulatan – Quarterfinal 3
  • Seung Guk Choi def. Sumit Kumar – Quarterfinal 4
  • Rei Tsuruya vs Mark Climaco – Semifinal 1
  • Seung Guk Choi vs Jiniushiyue – Semifinal 2
  • Winner of Semifinal 1 vs 2 – Final

Featherweight

  • Zha Yi def. Wuziazibieke Jiahefu – Quarterfinal 1
  • Sang Won Kim def. Keisuke Sasu – Quarterfinal 2
  • Kouya Kanda def. Yibugele – Quarterfinal 3
  • Kaiwen Li def. Kai Lu – Quarterfinal 4
  • Zha Yi vs Sang Won Kim – Semifinal 1
  • Kaiwen Li vs Kouya Kanda – Semifinal 2
  • Winner of Semifinal 1 vs 2 – Final

Bantamweight

  • Long Xiao def. Shohei Nose – Quarterfinal 1
  • Shuya Kamikubo def. Baergeng Jieleyisi – Quarterfinal 2
  • Daermisi Zhawupasi def. Eperaim Ginting vs – Quarterfinal 3
  • Chang Ho Lee def. Rana Rudra Pratap Singh – Quarterfinal 4
  • Shuya Kamikubo vs Long Xiao – Semifinal 1
  • Daermisi Zhawupasi vs Chang Ho Lee – Semifinal 2
  • Winner of Semifinal 1 vs 2 – Final

Lightweight

  • Sang Uk Kim def. Kazuma Maruyama – Quarterfinal 1
  • Zhu Rong def. Sung Chan Hong – Quarterfinal 2
  • Shin Haraguchi def. Windri Patilima – Quarterfinal 3
  • Bahatebole Batebolati def. Won Bin Ki – Quarterfinal 4
  • Zhu Rong vs Sang Uk Kim – Semifinal 1
  • Shin Haraguchi vs Bahatebole Batebolati – Semifinal 2
  • Winner of Semifinal 1 vs 2 – Final