Road to UFC


Road to UFC is a recurring mixed martial arts event series in which top Asian MMA prospects compete to win contracts with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Overview

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. Each event in the series, or "episode," features one bout for each division tournament, and one non-tournament bout. 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 Road to UFC: Japan, 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".

Seasons

NameStart DateEnd DateVenueLocationRef.
Season 4UFC Performance Institute ShanghaiShanghai, China
Season 4Shanghai Indoor StadiumShanghai, China
Season 4Qudos Bank ArenaSydney, Australia
Season 3UFC Performance Institute ShanghaiShanghai, China
Season 3UFC ApexLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Season 2UFC Performance Institute ShanghaiShanghai, China
Season 2Singapore Indoor StadiumKallang, Singapore
Season 2UFC ApexLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Season 2Kingdom ArenaRiyadh, Saudi Arabia
Season 1Singapore Indoor StadiumKallang, Singapore
Season 1Etihad ArenaAbu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Season 1UFC ApexLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Tournament winners

NameFinaleDivisionWinnerRunner-up
Road to UFC Season 1Feb 4, 2023Lightweight