Road to UFC results: Violent knockouts highlight Day 1 in Shanghai
Road to UFC returned Thursday at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China – and it brought the violence.
Of the 10 bouts that took place over the span of two episodes filmed, six ended by knockout or TKO.
Perhaps the most stunning of the bunch was an expertly-timed knee by Keiichiro Nakamura as he caught Eoh Jin Park diving in for a takedown.
Thursday's cards consisted of the featherweight and flyweight quarterfinal bouts, with some familiar names among the path.
Road to UFC alum Kaiwen Li and Dana White's Contender Series alum Aaron Tau both picked up first-round stoppage victories, but other Road to UFC alums Xiaocan Feng and Baergeng Jieleyisi came up short.
One American-born fighter, Mansher Khera, competed Thursday as he dominated Aziz Khaydarov en route to a unanimous decision. Khera is a highly-touted jiu-jitsu practitioner who has been on the cusp of a UFC call for some time.
Road to UFC will return for its semfinal bouts Aug. 22, one day before the promotion holds a main-brand event in Shanghai – the first on mainland China since November 2017.
Full Road to UFC Day 1 results include:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
DWCS 78 video: Ramiro Jimenez brutalizes Tommy Cuozzi Jr. for merciful TKO
After an underwhelming opening week of Dana White's Contender Series, the second week opened with a dominant performance by Ramiro Jimenez. Jimenez (11-0) came out of the gate on fire in his featherweight bout with Tommy Cuozzi Jr. (8-1) at DWCS 78 on Tuesday at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, badly hurting his opponent multiple times. Cuozzi Jr. did his best to hand tough from the onslaught poured on by Jimenez, but eventually referee Herb Dean saw enough and halted it at the 2:53 mark of Round 1. Check out the replay of the beatdown below (via X): UFC CEO Dana White along with matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby clapped on as Jimenez was announced the winner, and the 26-year-old shook hands with all them as he left the octagon as he looks to receive his UFC contract. "It was hard at the beginning being around this place at this stage," Jimenez said in his post-fight interview with Heidi Androl. "It's been a long time coming. ... I want to say thank you to everybody."
USA Today
12 minutes ago
- USA Today
Belal Muhammad pressures Kamaru Usman to accept fight between ex-UFC champs
When asked to analyze the expected UFC welterweight title fight between champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, Belal Muhammad didn't even bother to answer. Why? Because he's focused only on what's next for him – which he hopes is a fight against Kamaru Usman. "Honestly, for me, I'm not even really paying attention to anybody else," Muhammad said during a fan Q&A before UFC 319. "I'm looking at my next fight, my next opponent. If you guys see Usman around here, make sure you tell him that I'm looking for him." Muhammad the opportunity to publicly apply pressure on Usman in front of fans should come as no surprise. The two former UFC champs have been feuding since May following Muhammad's appearance on Usman's "Pound 4 Pound" podcast with Henry Cejudo. During the interview, Muhammad and Usman had a contentious verbal exchange. The episode – which was filmed before Muhammad's loss to Della Maddalena at UFC 315 – was never released. Muhammad and Usman have continued to trade barbs since then. With Muhammad losing his title and Usman snapping a three-fight skid by defeating Joaquin Buckley in June at UFC Atlanta, a Muhammad vs. Usman fight could make sense – even if Usman doesn't necessarily agree. Muhammad has other options near the top of the welterweight division, including Ian Machado Garry. But there's no question whom he's looking to meet in the cage next. "Just waiting for one of these guys to stop talking and sign the contract. We're looking for Usman," Muhammad said. "We're ready. I'm ready, I've been ready, I'm healthy, I've been training. … I'm ready. I'm hungry.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UFC ‘Contender Series' results, live coverage and full fight highlights
It's that time of year again! Contender Series is back with 10 straight weeks of mixed martial arts (MMA) action. After two weeks of the show starting an hour earlier because of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), this week's show begins at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+. For what it's worth, two fighters earned UFC contracts (results here). In the main event, Featherweights collide as former LFA champion Jose Delano (15-3) takes on Manuel Exposito (13-2). In the co-main event, Cam Rowston (11-3) returns for another chance at a UFC contract as he fights Brandon Holmes (5-0), who accepted the bout on short notice. In the 'Featured' bout, Kaushik Saikumar (5-0) — the first Indian to ever compete on the show — collides with Louis Lee Scott (9-0), who missed weight. Loud mouth Heavyweight, Josh Hokit (5-0), takes on Brazil's Guilherme Uriel (6-1). Finally, Tommy Cuozzi (8-0) fights Ramiro Jimenez (10-0) in a Featherweight showdown. 'Contender Series' Quick Results: Jose Delano vs. Manuel Exposito — Cam Rowston vs. Brandon Holmes — Kaushik Saikumar vs. Louis Lee Scott — Josh Hokit vs. Guilherme Uriel — Ramiro Jimenez defeats Tommy Cuozzi via knockout (punches), Round 1 2:53 — 'Contender Series' Highlights & Results: 145 lbs: Jose Delano vs. Manuel Exposito 185 lbs: Cam Rowston vs. Brandon Holmes 135 lbs: Kaushik Saikumar vs. Louis Lee Scott 265 lbs: Josh Hokit vs. Guilherme Uriel 145 lbs: Ramiro Jimenez defeats Tommy Cuozzi via knockout
