ROAD TO UFC, the most significant opportunity for Asia’s top MMA prospects to make it to the world stage, was announced by UFC, the world’s leading Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) organisation.
ROAD TO UFC is a game-changing “win and advance” competition that will bring top MMA talents from Asia to the UFC and provide them with a path to a contract. Eight mixed martial artists will compete in each of the four weight divisions for men: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight.
The first round of ROAD TO UFC will take place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on June 9 and 10, ahead of UFC 275: TEIXEIRA versus PROCHAZKA. The semifinals and finals will be held later in the year. Each of the four division winners will receive a UFC contract.
Dana White, the UFC President, wants to continue to grow the sport’s audience by scouting for new talent in places like China, India, and Mexico. White notes that before holding events in a place, the UFC scouts talent and prepares potential fighters in emerging markets. White’s ambition is to stage ultimate fighting competitions in every country.
Athletes from Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and the UFC Academy in China are anticipated to compete in ROAD TO UFC. There will also be one non-tournament bout on each card, for a total of five bouts on each event, to provide more possibilities for MMA prospects in Asia. The competition will be held in front of a live audience for all rounds, with the location and venue being announced prior to each event.
The first UFC series to be created in 4K Ultra-high-definition will be ROAD TO UFC. Each episode will air during primetime in Asia.
But before the next card, Justin Gaethje will take a shot at the World Lightweight Title against champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 274 and Carla Esparza takes on Rose Namajunas, the women’s Strawweight Champion on May 7 2022.