Road to UFC Season 3

Road to UFC Season 3 is the 2024 cycle of Road to UFC, a mixed martial arts (MMA) event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).^[1][2]

Road to UFC Season 3
Information
Promotion	UFC
First date aired	May 18, 2024 (2024-05-18)
← Road to UFC Season 2 Road to UFC Season 4 →

Background

The event series features four divisions—flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and, notably, women's strawweight (replacing lightweight)—each for which eight fighters compete in a "win-and-advance" tournament format.^[3] The tournament winner of each division is awarded a UFC contract. Each event within the series contains five bouts, one of which is a non-tournament match-up.^[4]

The inaugural quarterfinal stage of the tournament took place over two days, May 18-19, 2024, at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai, with two five-bout events for each day for a total of 10 bouts per day.^[4] The semifinals were held at the UFC Apex facility on August 23, 2024.^[5] The finals took place at UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Figueiredo on November 23, 2024.^[6]

Episode 1

Road to UFC: Episode 1
Promotion	Road to UFC
Date	May 18, 2024
Venue	UFC Performance Institute Shanghai
City	Shanghai, China

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Featherweight	Zhu Kangjie	def.	Tatsuya Ando	Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–26, 30–25)	3	5:00	[a]
Featherweight	Shin Haraguchi	def.	Jun Young Hong	Decision (unanimous) (30–25, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00	[b]
Women's Strawweight	Feng Xiaocan	def.	Kiran Singh	TKO (punches)	1	2:03	[c]
Welterweight	Bahatebole Batebolati	def.	Han Seul Kim	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00

1. Road to UFC Season 3 Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
2. Road to UFC Season 3 Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
3. Road to UFC Season 3 Women's Strawweight Tournament Quarterfinal.

Episode 2

Road to UFC: Episode 2
Promotion	Road to UFC
Date	May 18, 2024
Venue	UFC Performance Institute Shanghai
City	Shanghai, China

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Featherweight	Xie Bin	def.	Yibugele	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00	[a]
Women's Strawweight	Shi Ming	def.	Ye Dam Seo	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00	[b]
Featherweight	Masuto Kawana	def.	Young Jae Song	Decision (unanimous) (30–26, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00	[c]
Women's Strawweight	Dong Huaxiang	def.	Priya Sharma	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00	[d]
Women's Flyweight	Wang Cong	def.	Paula Luna	Submission (guillotine choke)	1	3:04

1. Road to UFC Season 3 Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
2. Road to UFC Season 3 Women's Strawweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
3. Road to UFC Season 3 Featherweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
4. Road to UFC Season 3 Women's Strawweight Tournament Quarterfinal.

Episode 3

Road to UFC: Episode 3
Promotion	Road to UFC
Date	May 19, 2024
Venue	UFC Performance Institute Shanghai
City	Shanghai, China

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Bantamweight	Daermisi Zhawupasi	def.	Ren Ozaki	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00	[a]
Flyweight	Angad Bisht	def.	John Dave Almanza	TKO (elbows and punches)	1	3:39	[b]
Bantamweight	Su Young You	def.	Shohei Nose	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)	3	5:00	[c]
Flyweight	Dong Hun Choi	def.	Ji Niushiyue	Decision (split) (29–28, 29–28, 28–29)	3	5:00	[d]
Lightweight	Won Bin Ki	def.	Tatsuya Saika	TKO (punches)	2	0:51

1. Road to UFC Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
2. Road to UFC Season 3 Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
3. Road to UFC Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
4. Road to UFC Season 3 Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.

Episode 4

Road to UFC: Episode 4
Promotion	Road to UFC
Date	May 19, 2024
Venue	UFC Performance Institute Shanghai
City	Shanghai, China

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Bantamweight	Baergeng Jieleyisi	def.	Li Yunfeng	Technical Submission (rear-naked choke)	2	4:25	[a]
Flyweight	Kiru Singh Sahota	def.	Yin Shuai	Decision (split) (29–28, 27–30, 29–28)	3	5:00	[b]
Bantamweight	Tokitaka Nakanishi	def.	Kyu Sung Kim	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–27)	3	5:00	[c]
Women's Flyweight	Yan Qihui	def.	Lisa Kyriacou	Decision (split) (30–27, 28–29, 30–27)	3	5:00

1. Road to UFC Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
2. Road to UFC Season 3 Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
3. Road to UFC Season 3 Flyweight Tournament Quarterfinal.

Episode 5

Road to UFC: Episode 5
Promotion	Road to UFC
Date	August 23, 2024
Venue	UFC Apex
City	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Bantamweight	Baergeng Jieleyisi	def.	Tokitaka Nakanishi	Decision (unanimous) (29–28, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00	[a]
Flyweight	Dong Hun Choi	def.	Angad Bisht	Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)	3	5:00	[b]
Bantamweight	Su Young You	def.	Daermisi Zhawupasi	Decision (split) (30–27, 28–29, 29–28)	3	5:00	[c]
Flyweight	Kiru Singh Sahota	def.	Ruel Pañales	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28)	3	5:00	[d]
Women's Flyweight	Danni McCormack	def.	Yan Qihui	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–27)	3	5:00

1. Road to UFC Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal.
2. Road to UFC Season 3 Flyweight Tournament Semifinal.
3. Road to UFC Season 3 Bantamweight Tournament Semifinal.
4. Road to UFC Season 3 Flyweight Tournament Semifinal.

Episode 6

Road to UFC: Episode 6
Promotion	Road to UFC
Date	August 23, 2024
Venue	UFC Apex
City	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Main Card (UFC Fight Pass)
Weight class				Method	Round	Time	Notes
Featherweight	Xie Bin	def.	Masuto Kawana	KO (punches)	1	4:17	[a]
Women's Strawweight	Shi Ming	vs.	Dong Huaxiang	Decision (split) (29–28, 27–30, 29–28)	3	5:00	[b]
Featherweight	Zhu Kangjie	def.	Shin Haraguchi	Decision (split) (29–28, 28–29, 29–28)	3	5:00	[c]
Women's Strawweight	Feng Xiaocan	def.	Miki Motono	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 29–28, 29–28)	3	5:00	[d]
Welterweight	Samandar Murodov	def.	Jonathan Piersma	Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 30–27)	3	5:00	[e]

1. Road to UFC Season 3 Featherweight Tournament Semifinal.
2. Road to UFC Season 3 Women's Strawweight Tournament Semifinal.
3. Road to UFC Season 3 Featherweight Tournament Semifinal.
4. Road to UFC Season 3 Women's Strawweight Tournament Semifinal.
5. Piersma missed weight (174 lb).

Brackets

Flyweight

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	Yin Shuai	3
	Kiru Singh Sahota	SD
					Kiru Singh Sahota	UD
					Ruel Pañales	3
	Ruel Pañales*	BYE
	Toki Matsui	–
									Kiru Singh Sahota	1
									Dong Hun Choi	KO
	Ji Niushiyue	3
	Dong Hun Choi	SD
					Dong Hun Choi	SD
					Angad Bisht	3
	Angad Bisht	TKO
	John Dave Almanza	1

*Toki Matsui missed weight (132 lbs), therefore the bout was cancelled and Pañales proceeded to the semi-finals

Bantamweight

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	Kyu Sung Kim	3
	Tokitaka Nakanishi	UD
					Tokitaka Nakanishi	3
					Baergeng Jieleyisi	UD
	Li Yunfeng	2
	Baergeng Jieleyisi	SUB
									Baergeng Jieleyisi	3
									Su Young You	UD
	Ren Ozaki	3
	Daermisi Zhawupasi	UD
					Daermisi Zhawupasi	3
					Su Young You	SD
	Su Young You	UD
	Shohei Nose	3

Featherweight

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	Xie Bin	UD
	Yibugele	3
					Xie Bin	KO
					Masuto Kawana	3
	Young Jae Song	3
	Masuto Kawana	UD
									Xie Bin	3
									Zhu Kangjie	SD
	Zhu Kangjie	UD
	Tatsuya Ando	3
					Zhu Kangjie	SD
					Shin Haraguchi	3
	Jun Young Hong	3
	Shin Haraguchi	UD

Women's Strawweight

	Quarter-finals				Semi-finals				Final
	Priya Sharma	3
	Dong Huaxiang	UD
					Dong Huaxiang	3
					Shi Ming	SD
	Ye Dam Seo	3
	Shi Ming	UD
									Shi Ming	KO
									Feng Xiaocan	3
	Feng Xiaocan	TKO
	Kiran Singh	1
					Feng Xiaocan	UD
					Miki Motono	3
	Miki Motono*	BYE
	Huang Feier	–

* Huang Feier missed weight (116.7 lbs), therefore the bout was canceled and Motono proceeded to semi-final

See also

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
• Road to UFC