- George Chung
- May 13, 2024
- 2 min read
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to thrill mixed martial arts (MMA) fans with the third season of its innovative tournament, ROAD TO UFC. This competition is designed to provide a clear pathway for the top MMA prospects from Asia to secure a UFC contract, further promoting the development of martial arts talent in the region.
The tournament kicks off with its first round on May 18 and 19 at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai. The bouts will be held over two episodes, with Episode 1 airing at 6 AM ET on May 18 and Episode 2 following at 8 AM ET on May 19. The event times are scheduled to cater to the Asia prime time audience, GMT+8.
ROAD TO UFC features a "win and advance" format, focusing on four weight classes: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and women's strawweight. Each class consists of an 8-person bracket. The first round, or quarterfinals, will see four fights in each bracket, along with one additional non-tournament fight per fight card, ensuring that the audience gets a packed show.
The winners of the quarterfinals will move on to the semifinals, with two fights in each bracket. Success in the semifinals will lead the fighters to the finals, which will be featured on the preliminary card of a UFC Fight Night later in the year. Victors in the final round will be awarded a UFC contract, marking a significant step in their professional MMA careers.
How ROAD TO UFC Works:
Four divisions: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and women's strawweight
8-person brackets for each division
Round 1 (quarterfinals)
Four fights in each bracket (plus one non-tournament fight, making five fights total per fight card); winners move on to semifinals
Round 2 (semifinals)
Two fights in each bracket; winners move on to finals
Round 3 (finals)
One fight in each bracket taking place on the preliminary card of a UFC Fight Night later this year. Winners will earn a UFC contract.
For fans across the globe, the tournament will be accessible via UFC FIGHT PASS.
Additionally, regional broadcasting partners include
MIGU in China
NOW SPORTS in Hong Kong
SONY TEN 2 in India
MOLA in Indonesia
U-NEXT in Japan
TVN and TVING in South Korea
and many others throughout Southeast Asia, ensuring wide coverage for the event.
Fans are encouraged to follow along on UFC.com and @UFCNews on social media for the latest updates, live results, and more details on how to watch all episodes of ROAD TO UFC.
