Before the UFC returns for a Fight Night event on Saturday, some exciting talents tried to take one step closer to earning a contract.
With the new season of Dana White’s Contender Series underway, with five fighters earning contracts earlier this week, there are set to be a lot of new additions to the roster.
Another pathway for UFC hopefuls in recent years has been through the promotion’s Road to UFC series.
Zhang Mingyang, who will face Johnny Walker in Saturday’s main event, competed on the first event that ever took place under this banner.
For one contestant in the semi-finals, the goal was simply to go one step further than he went the last time around.
Li Kaiwen comes up short on Road to UFC after suffering a gruesome facial injury
In 2024, China’s Li Kaiwen made it to the finals of the featherweight bracket by producing a first-round KO and a unanimous decision win.
He was submitted at the final hurdle by the experienced Yi Zha, who is set to try and record his first win inside the Octagon when he faces Westin Wilson on Saturday night.
Kaiwen bounced back in 2024 with a pair of unanimous decision wins that earned him another shot at the Road to UFC tournament.
A second round finish saw him advance to the semi-finals where he came up against a 26-year-old Japanese fighter with a lot of momentum behind him.
Having lost his pro debut in 2022, Keiichiro Nakamura has won six-in-a-row since then, which he extended to seven by winning the semi-final bout via a unanimous decision.
The matchup proved to be very entertaining, with the Chinese fighter taking the first round on all three scorecards before his opponent turned things around in the second and third.
As seen in several screenshots posted on social media, Kaiwen wore some significant damage on the side of his face during the bout, resulting in a nasty-looking hematoma.
You can also see the gruesome injury that he suffered on the right-hand side of his face in UFC Asia’s post of the result being made official.
Keiichiro Nakamura’s opponent for the finals has already been decided
Before Keiichiro Nakamura could extend his winning streak to advance to the Road to UFC finals, the other side of the matchup was decided.
Sebastian Szalay stopped Chang Min Yoon in the opening minute of the first round to make it to the final stage, unleashing some big ground and pound strikes for the finish.
The Australian competitor has won nine fights in a row since losing the second bout of his pro career.
It was reportedly stated during the Road to UFC broadcast that the finals will take place early next year, though this hasn’t been confirmed at this time.