(Head)Kicking the Can Down the Road to the UFC

Overtime Heroics Editorial

350 days ago

As we emotionally recover from two back-to-back BANGER cards in UFC 275 and UFC Austin, let’s have a look back at the prelude to what might turn out to be PPV of the Year – Road to the UFC.

Recap of the Road to the UFC So Far

For the casual fan, it would have been very easy to miss that there had been two cards happening on the Thursday and Friday of UFC 275 Fight Week, given how little press was done by the promotion. The first steps in the four divisional, eight-man tournaments of the Road to the UFC took place, and boy did Singapore deliver! With only six decisions, the Asian talent on display was extremely hungry for victory.

Laura Sanko was also on fire making her second promotional appearance as a commentator alongside UFC on BT Sport veteran John Gooden. Fans loved Sanko’s commentary so much, in fact, that Dana White has confirmed that he will make Sanko’s long-time dream of commentating a UFC Fight Night come true. White confirmed that he would “get it figured out”, in a Blockasset live stream.

We will also be seeing China’s #1 ranked LHW, Mingyang Zhang, Allstars Training Center pupil Josefine Knutsson, Japanese 19-year-old phenom Takeru Uchida, and Korean Zombie MMA Welterweight Han Seul Kim all joining the UFC, after winning their non-tournament bouts. Make sure to keep an eye out for all of these fighters in the following months, and expect to see at least two fighting in Abu Dhabi at UFC 281.

Kicking the Can Down the Road…

As we kick the can down the road towards the Fall, and the second round of the tournament, and assuming that the promotion will follow the published bracket, our next “Road” event should look something like this:

Seung Guk Choi vs. Quilun (125)
Topnoi Kiwram vs. Hyun Sung Park (125)
Toshiomi Kazama vs. Rinya Nakamura (135)
Shohei Nose vs. (TBD) (135)
Zha Yi vs. Koyomi Matsushima (145)
Jung Young Lee vs. Kai Lu (145)
Won Bin Ki vs. Jeka Asparido Saragih (155)

As well as an assumed bout between Lightweights Kyung Pyo Kim, who scored a 30-second flash KO over Asikerbai Jinensibieke, and Anshul Jubli, who was unable to compete, as his opponent suffered from a botched weight cut and the fight was scrapped.