Road to UFC is a recurring mixed martial arts (MMA) event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Structured into "seasons" and "episodes," it features a number of fighter weight divisions—each for which fighters compete in a "win-and-advance" tournament format.[1] Each event in the series, or "episode," features one bout for each division tournament, and one non-tournament bout.[2] [3] [4] The opening quarterfinal round is typically held hosting four events over a two-day span, with two episodes for each day. The semifinal round is held a few months later. Each season culminates with the tournament finals, which take place during preliminary card of a UFC Fight Night event. The tournament winner for each division is awarded a UFC contract.
The "Road to UFC" branding was previously used in 2015 for, a similar Japan-based tournament awarding a UFC contract, but formatted as a reality competition, and marketed as an Asian-centric analog to The Ultimate Fighter. Despite the reuse of the "Road to UFC" brand, similar Asian MMA focus, and season/episode nomenclature, the UFC has not characterized the newer event series as inclusive of the earlier 2015 reality competition, and has described the 2022 tournament cycle as the "inaugural tournament," referring to it as "Season 1".[5]
| Name | Start Date | End Date | Venue | Location | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 3 | UFC Performance Institute Shanghai | Shanghai, China | [6] | ||
| UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||
| Season 2 | UFC Performance Institute Shanghai | Shanghai, China | [7] | ||
| Singapore Indoor Stadium | Kallang, Singapore | ||||
| UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||
| Kingdom Arena | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | ||||
| Season 1 | Singapore Indoor Stadium | Kallang, Singapore | [8] | ||
| Etihad Arena | Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | ||||
| UFC Apex | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ||||
| Name | Finale | Division | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road to UFC Season 1 | Feb 4, 2023 | Lightweight |  Anshul Jubli |  Jeka Saragih |
| Featherweight |  Lee Jeong-yeong |  Yi Zha | ||
| Bantamweight |  Rinya Nakamura | Toshiomi Kazama | ||
| Flyweight | Park Hyun-sung | Choi Seung-guk | ||
| Road to UFC Season 2 | Feb 4, 2024 | Lightweight | Rong Zhu | Shin Haraguchi |
| Featherweight | Yi Zha | Li Kai Wen | ||
| Flyweight | Rei Tsuruya | Ji Niushiyue | ||
| Jun 22, 2024 | Bantamweight | Lee Chang-ho | Xiao Long |