This mock tournament for the next Road to UFC (RTU) tournament is more stacked than it traditionally would be with either UFC-level or future UFC-level talent, so whilst only winning the tournament will guarantee you a contract, losers may be signed to shows like The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS), Looking for a Fight (LFAF), or even straight to the UFC itself if warranted.
At the very least, this tournament acts as a way for these prospects to get high-level experience that will bode well for their long-term development before the bright lights of the UFC, and for the winners, it will really act as a kick-starter for their careers, having gone through a gauntlet of the best available fighters Asia has to offer.
I have also included at the bottom an additional six showcase bouts that will essentially act as DWCS fights, for a total of 52 fighters previewed.
Flyweight
Anthony Drilich (10-2, Australia) – 31 Years Old
Drilich is a name known to UFC brass after his 2024 DWCS fight against Sean Gauci, in which he lost. Given Gauci has signed to PFL Pacific & Drilich has won his two fights since, he is the one in prime position for an RTU opportunity. Drilich is a powerful striker with a decent enough grappling game, despite it being an area better fighters tend to exploit against him, and someone who could do well in this tournament, given the right matchups
Arshiyan Memon (7-0, India) – 30 Years Old
Fresh off his recent appearance as part of Team Sonnen on TUF 33, Memon is someone who the UFC could use in this tournament. Not only to better test his skill level against other Asian opposition, but also to find out what, if any, improvements he made inside the TUF house. Memon is a solid fighter with a fun style who still has potential even at 30, but the reality is that time isn’t on his side, so a litmus test like RTU is a necessary step for Memon if he wants to make it in the UFC.
Agulali (13-2, China) – 20 Years Old
After losing in an upset against Namsrai Batbayar in the RTU semi-finals this season, Agulali is an obvious choice to be involved in the next season in at least some capacity. Whether it’s a showcase bout or back in the tournament like I’m predicting, Agulali is someone the UFC should be trying to play a significant role in developing and batting off any interest from other promotions that will lock him down. As we’d say in Australia, Agulali is an absolute gun and at only 20, he has such a bright future in the sport if he can continue on this trajectory.
Clinton Kenin D’Cruz (6-0, India) – 33 Years Old (Estimate)
D’Cruz is a strong prospect out of India but is running out of time to make it to the UFC at around 33 years of age. He has a really nice ground game and pairs it with clean basics on the feet. D’Cruz could provide a lot of problems for opponents who aren’t up to par in certain aspects of their game and would be a very valuable addition to this tournament.
Otgonbaatar Boldbaatar (5-0, Mongolia) – 22 Years Old
Boldbaatar would come in as, for me, the likely favourite to win the tournament given his immediate pedigree. Boldbaatar comes from an amateur freestyle wrestling background, but really butters his bread on the feet. He’s a volume fighter who throws combinations with high striking IQ, and has all the tools to be something really special in the flyweight division. The only reason Boldbaatar is in this tournament on not on DWCS or even straight in the UFC, is because the tournament could prove to be an incredibly valuable experience before being thrust into the bright lights of the UFC. At only 22 with only five professional wins, adding another three wins against strong competition before his UFC debut could prove to be invaluable for his development.
Kun Zhou (13-4, China) – 26 Years Old (Estimate)
Zhou first made a name for himself when he beat, at the time, highly touted Chinese flyweight Tianhao Feng, a really impressive win and one in which he’s followed up on with another victory since against Idibek Ibragimov. Zhou is a fighter who leans on his wrestling to secure victories, actively hunting submissions and able to win rounds via control. He can also strike, although it isn’t particularly a strength of his. Zhou would be an interesting addition to the tournament to see where he stacks up against stronger competition.
Cooper Royal (7-1, Australia) – 26 Years Old
Royal is someone that Australian fans have had their eye on for a while at this point as someone with high upside. Frankly, he hasn’t faced the strongest competition yet and needs something like RTU to quickly gain the type of fight experience he just simply hasn’t been able to find in Australia. He would be up against it in this tournament against guys with far stronger resumes and records. He has enough time on his side, where the tournament can act as a litmus test and highlight to Royal anything he needs to work on if he wants to make it to the UFC. Royal is a fluid striker who, with the right matchups, could provide really entertaining fights that fans will enjoy.
Aaron Tau (11-1, New Zealand) – 32 Years Old or Namsrai Batbayar (9-1, Mongolia) – 24 Years Old
It just makes sense to have whoever loses the upcoming RTU final back in the tournament for redemption. Be it Tau or Batbayar, they’d both be incredibly worthy entrants.
Tau, despite his limited level, fights incredibly entertainingly and would at the very least provide excitement in the tournament. Batbayar, at only 24, holds a ton of potential, so if he loses the final, he’d be a shoe-in to come back and try his luck again. For my money, Tau probably takes this spot, and Batbayar wins the final.
Bantamweight
Kyoma Akimoto (9-1, Japan) – 19 Years Old
At only 19 years old, Akimoto already shapes up as one of Japan’s top unsigned prospects outside the UFC. His striking is incredibly versatile and multi-faceted, doing a strong job of manipulating angles and diversifying attacks to give opponents a serious headache.
He isn’t a pushover in the grappling department either, but it’s his striking that makes him such a strong prospect. This tournament would provide a significant step up in competition for Akimoto, either highlighting areas he could improve or acting as a runway into a long and prosperous UFC career.
Punnya Sai (7-0, Myanmar) – 26 Years Old
Sai made waves on the ONE Warrior Series in 2019 with four wins (three by finish) before taking a five-year layoff from the sport. He returned in March of 2024 and racked up three more wins, all by KO in under a minute. It’s no surprise that Sai is a seriously nasty striker, but he has even shown a decent ground game on tape, too, which makes him a real headache to deal with. For all the positives, though, it’s clear Sai hasn’t fought a high level of competition yet, and this tournament would act as the perfect way to get him those. Sai would have to be one of the favourites to take out the tournament if he can prove that he can handle the step up in competition.
Peter Danesoe (8-4, Thailand) – 25 Years Old
Danesoe hasn’t exactly had the rub of the green in his previous two RTU appearances, being matched against and ultimately losing to talented fighters Nyamjargal Tumendemberel and Rangbo Sulangrangbo. Yet, at only 25 years old and having faced a strong level of opposition, Danesoe clearly still has a lot of upside working at Bangtao, along with the general skillset to cause opponents problems.
This will mark his fourth appearance on RTU (second in the tournament), and it’ll be a spot where he has to make some level of impact if he wants to earn a UFC opportunity.
Matty Iann (3-0, Australia) – 24 Years Old
Iann is a name Aussie fans have had their eye on for a while as arguably the best prospect out of the late Suman Mokhtarian’s Australian Top Team stable. Iann translated his strong amateur form into the pros with a combined 9-1 record, with his only loss coming to Hillal Chams, who was a menace on the amateur scene, particularly in 2019 when they fought. The current interim Eternal bantamweight champion, Iann, defeated the undefeated Connor Birch, who was coming off a win against the highly touted Kris Ustijanovski. Iann has a ton of upside as a potentially heavy-handed grappler, and I’d like to see how he deals with the step up in competition that the tournament would inevitably provide
Kasib Murdoch (6-0, New Zealand) – 24 Years Old
Murdoch is a hot prospect out of Volk’s Freestyle MMA, boasting an undefeated record across both his amateur and professional careers, with all six of his pro wins coming via finish. He’s a highly credentialled as a former IMMAF champion and the holder of multiple amateur boxing accolades. Murdoch is a slick grappler with nasty ground-and-pound, strong positional control/awareness, and a developed submission game. He’s no slouch on the feet either, with a snapping jab and deceptive power. Murdoch is an incredibly well-rounded prospect with a huge amount of upside. At only 24, it seems inevitable that he will be in the UFC one day. Murdoch would have to be one of the favourites to take out the tournament.
Rabindra Dhant (9-1, Nepal) – 26 Years Old
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know all that much about Dhant before he beat Chungreng Koren, but having watched that fight, I can see Dhant being at the level for this tournament. Dhant’s ability to scramble and match the pressure of Koren had him in the driver’s seat for a majority of that fight, and he worked Koren’s gas tank throughout the fight until Koren just couldn’t keep up anymore. His only loss came against the very talented Ismail Khan, and after he caused what commentary called the biggest upset ever in Indian MMA, I’d like to see how Dhant would fare in this tournament
Shinebaatar Bat-Erdene (6-0, Mongolia) – 22 Years Old
Bat-Erdene really broke out earlier this year, choking out the highly touted and, at the time, undefeated Kai Yoshida. He followed up that performance with two more finish wins against Odsuren Shagdar and Shohei Nose, respectively.
Bat-Erdene, on the limited tape available, has shown a really dangerous ground game, evidenced by his three recent submission victories, with his only other finish coming via ground and pound. I admittedly haven’t been able to find much tape on Bat-Erdene, but what I have seen has impressed me, and I’d like to see how he fares against stronger competition in this fantasy RTU tournament.
Lawrence Lui (7-1, New Zealand) – 29 Years Old or Rangbo Sulangrangbo (10-3, China) – 20 Years Old
Like the other weight classes, I’ve included a spot for the loser of the upcoming bantamweight RTU final, as it only makes sense for them to run it back. Lui faces an uphill battle in the final, and I’d probably expect Sulangrangbo to win the tournament and earn a UFC contract.
Lui is a fun striker who, similar to his teammate Aaron Tau, can provide exciting fights in the tournament and really punish opponents if they’re not up to par. If Sulangrangbo loses in the final, then as a high-upside prospect, the UFC would be crazy not to try and lock him up again, likely in this tournament, rather than risk losing him to another promotion.
Featherweight
George Mangos (7-1, Australia) – 22 Years Old
Mangos is not only one of the best prospects in Australia, but the best prospect on the planet. At only 22 years old, Mangos has the world at his feet despite coming off a loss to Radley Da Silva, who himself is one of the better fighters outside the UFC.
Despite having an upcoming fight against Justin Van Heerden, a matchup in which I’d expect Mangos to win, the issue he’ll run into, like he inevitably always does, is that he can’t find genuine high-level opposition to face him.
He could get signed straight to the UFC for the Sydney card, and it would be well earned, but if that doesn’t happen, I’d like to see him in the RTU tournament so he can build up more higher-level experience prior to his inevitable UFC run.
If he were older, I’d argue to just sign him straight up, but at 22, he still has enough time where the RTU experience could prove to be invaluable to his long-term development as a fighter.
Kazuki Aimoto (8-0, Japan) – 24 Years Old
Aimoto is a fighter, I think has nice upside, and would be an incredibly fun addition to this RTU tournament. Aimoto is a dangerous striker with six of his eight wins coming by KO, including one over the touted Kei Maezono in 2024. However, despite showing his potential, he has mostly only done so against lower to mid-level regional opposition. RTU would represent a big but necessary step up in competition for Aimoto, where he will either sink or swim. At only 24, if he does sink, he has more than enough time to go back, work on those deficiencies, and have another crack at a UFC run in the future.
Seong Hyuk Bang (7-0, South Korea) – 24 Years Old
Bang by name and bang by nature – Seong Hyuk Bang is a speedy striker with good instincts, counter-striking, and feinting. Not much of a wrestler, Bang relies on keeping the fight on the feet, where he can work behind his jab and is patient in setting up his shots. Whilst he’s undoubtedly looked impressive so far, it would be interesting to see how he deals with the step up in competition that RTU would provide, given the best record he’s faced is 3-1. In the same vein, if his skills can translate up a level, he will not only be a lot of fun, but a seriously annoying headache to deal with on the feet.
Kyle Mayocchi (5-0, Australia) – 20 Years Old
Mayocchi is a talented up-and-comer who, along with his twin brother Brodie, has long been on the shortlist of future UFC-level prospects out of Australia. An accomplished amateur with an undefeated professional record, it would be interesting to see how Mayocchi would deal with the step up in competition that the RTU tournament would provide him. Mayocchi is a dangerous grappler with an accomplished submission game, vicious ground-and-pound, and a developing striking game, having trained at City Kickboxing after having competed on their reality show. At the very least, this tournament will provide Mayocchi with invaluable experience for his eventual UFC run, which, at only 20 years old, seems like an inevitability.
Naertai Kezibayi (12-1, China) – 25 Years Old
Riding an 11-fight win streak, Kezibayi has some strong wins on his resume, including a KO over TUF Brazil winner Reginaldo Vieira and Zewang, who at the time was a hyped-up prospect. Kezibayi is a power puncher with a diverse range of attacks who effectively varies up his targeting. He’ll fight behind his developed kick game and really look to punish any mistakes his opponent makes on the feet. Kezibayi has some clear improvements in his game to make, like in his TDD and gas tank, but with a fun fighting style and at only 25 years old I’d love to see Kezibayi try his luck in the tournament.
Kangjie Zhu (21-4, China) – 29 Years Old
Zhu is a fast, explosive, and powerful kickboxer with a developed overall striking game. Zhu has won his last three fights on RTU and is ready to make his debut in the tournament, even though I thought he was in it already this past season, but clearly, he must have been in a showcase bout instead.
Kevin Kophamel (3-1, Australia) – 24 Years Old
Kophamel is someone you should be taking note of if you haven’t already, as he’s shaping up to be one of Australia’s brightest prospects. He is a powerful volume striker with a solid wrestling game and endless cardio to back it up.
Kophamel has faced a strong level of competition throughout both his professional and amateur career, with his only losses coming to DWCS contract winner Murtazali Magomedov, a prime Abdalla Biayda (both amateur losses), and Harry Webb in a super close fight up a weight class on under 48 hours’ notice. He holds wins over a number of strong Australian regional fighters both across his professional and amateur career, which will hold him in good stead in preparing for an inevitable UFC run.
While he could go down the route of winning the Featherweight title at Eternal in his next fight and then going to DWCS, I would like to see him in this tournament, where he can get, best case, another three fights of high-level experience under his belt.
Keiichiro Nakamura (7-1, Japan) – 26 Years Old or Seb Szalay (10-1, Australia) – 31 Years Old
The final spot is saved for whoever loses the upcoming RTU Featherweight final between Keiichiro Nakamura and Seb Szalay. I would probably expect Szalay to be too much for Nakamura in the final, with Nakamura coming back for revenge in this fantasy tournament. Nakamura is an underrated fighter with deceptive power and strong counters, and having now beaten stronger competition on RTU would be a prime candidate to come back if he loses the final; and on the other hand, Szalay has already shown himself to be a highly capable fighter who would be one of the favourites if he were to return.
Lightweight
Brodie Mayocchi (3-0, Australia) – 20 Years Old
Mayocchi is another one that ANZAC fans have known about for a while now, boasting an undefeated record across both his professional and amateur careers against strong Australian regional competition. After winning City Kickboxing’s reality show ‘Relentless’, Mayocchi now trains out of that stable alongside his twin brother Kyle, sharpening his skills in a very high-level training environment. Mayocchi is an active grappler with a dangerous submission game and strong wrestling to pair. He also has a good striking game behind him, even if not the most technical yet, and has shown that he can fight through strikes coming his way to reach opponents. Despite being only 3-0, Mayocchi is ready for a spot like this.
Yuji Yannick Ephoeviga (12-1, Japan) – 26 Years Old
Ephoeviga was one of the favourites to win the whole tournament this past season before a shock upset loss to Dom Mar Fan, and having gotten himself back into the winner’s circle with a unanimous decision over gritty veteran Kieran Joblin last month, he would be an obvious inclusion. Ephoeviga has some strong wins on his resume and, as recently as earlier this year, was seen as one of the top prospects in all of Asia. A big, athletic grappler – Ephoeviga is at his best when he can showcase his BJJ, but does have some good basic striking to pair too.
Aili Mulatebieke (20-3, China) – 28 Years Old
Mulatebieke is a guy who has been grinding away for his opportunity on the Chinese regional scene for a while now. Riding a 5-fight win streak all by finish with an upcoming fight against Tuul Namnanbayar at JCK 110, Mulatebieke has only lost once since January 2019. While he hasn’t fought the strongest of competition, he has been doing exactly what you’d want him to by finishing. Mulatebieke is a strong, physically imposing grappler with a dangerous submission game. On the feet, he isn’t a slouch as he relentlessly pressures his opponents with his hands and power kicks. Mulatebieke would be an incredibly worthy addition to this tournament.
Rizwan Ali (10-0, Pakistan) – 28 Years Old
Ali is a well-rounded prospect with decent upside and a fun fighting style with eight finishes from his ten wins, but he desperately needs a step up in competition. His last fight against Adham Mohamed was his first fight against an opponent with a positive record, and it was one he only won by split decision. However, before that fight, Ali had been on a tear, finishing his last four fights by KO. It will be interesting to see how he fares against Rana Singh, who is on paper his toughest test to date, but if he can get through that, I’d think the UFC will at the very least want to bring him in to something like the RTU tournament.
Eoh Jin Park (9-2-1, South Korea) – 23 Years Old
Having been seen as one of Asia’s top prospects going into the previous RTU season, Park is someone who definitely has the upside to fight in the UFC. Park is a long striker with some power who can wrestle, and at only 23, he still has a lot of time to build upon his already well-rounded skillset. Park’s ground-and-pound is also pretty nasty, and he can put his opponent out from the mat. With that said, though, Park lost in an upset to current finalist Keiichiro Nakamura in the first round of the previous season and hasn’t fought since. At such a young age, though, and with his level of potential, I’d like to see him come back and right some wrongs.
Shunta Nomura (10-2, Japan) – 28 Years Old
Nomura is a prospect with good striking and improving TDD, possessing technique, power, and speed that can really give his opponents headaches. He’s coming off recent wins over Patricky Pitbull and Luiz Gustavo, and won the DEEP Lightweight title in late 2024. Nomura is a problem and could probably be in the UFC straight up; he’s likely to be one of the better fighters in the bracket
Blake Donnelly (7-2, Australia) – 29 Years Old
Donnelly hasn’t fought since 2023 when he lost against rising star Quillan Salkilld, defending his Eternal Lightweight title. I’m not totally sure where he’s at, given he’s been quiet since the loss, but I still want him in this tournament. Donnelly is an underrated striker with a fun style and sneaky power, holding multiple wins over David Martinez, which proves his level. He has the skills to make an impact in the tournament, and even if it’s just an incentive to get him back into the octagon, he’s a talent that warrants the spot despite not fighting for over two years.
Sang Uk Kim (13-3, South Korea) – 32 Years Old or Dom Mar Fan (8-2, Australia) – 25 Years Old
As with all the other divisions, the final spot is saved for whoever loses the upcoming Lightweight RTU Final between Sang Uk Kim and Dom Mar Fan. I favour Dom Mar Fan to get that win, and Sang Uk Kim to be the one who comes back for redemption. Kim is a grinding wrestler with strong ground and pound and a decent submission game. While he is somewhat one-dimensional, he is a damn good wrestler, and the constant threat of the TD can at times allow him to further open up on the feet. His opponent, Mar Fa,n is a decorated BJJ practitioner himself, with a dangerous grappling game between his submissions and ground-and-pound, and he pressures well on the feet. At only 25, Mar Fan is a future UFC-level fighter, and if he loses in the final, he’s an easy add-in for the next season.
Showcases (6 Total)
Matheus Correia (11-0, Brazil/China) v Kim Min Woo (12-2 (1 NC), South Korea) – Featherweight
This fight is in many ways an excuse to get Matheus Correia on RTU. Being Brazilian, it’s hard to put him in the Featherweight Tournament even though he trains out of China. I could see the UFC bringing him in for a showcase bout, given his level of talent.
Correia is a talented grappler who isn’t bad at all on the feet, having won multiple kickboxing bouts. He’s shown a strong gas tank, having fought both three and five-rounders to fruition, and at only 25, has a lot of upside to make it in the UFC.
His opponent in Woo is on the older side at 32 and really needs to make it now if he wants to make it at all – so setting him up in a spot where if he wins, he will probably be in the UFC makes a lot of sense. With that said though, this is a spot Correia should shine in, and one which should win him a UFC contract.
Yilizhati (6-0, China) v Fergus Jenkins (3-0, New Zealand) – Light Heavyweight
Yilizhati is someone the UFC has to have their eye on, with all six of his wins coming via finish. He is a grappler looking to do damage and finish the fight at all times. Be it from his submissions or ground-and-pound, Yilizhati is a dangerous fighter on the mat.
While he hasn’t fought the strongest level of opposition, his upcoming fight against Maksim Lylov will tell us a lot about his level, and at only 24, he still has a lot of time to improve.
On the flip side, this is a challenge that Fergus Jenkins would relish. A highly touted amateur with only a singular loss between his professional and amateur career, Jenkins is a two-time IMMAF champion who is ready to take the step up in a thin Light Heavyweight division. Despite having three fewer pro fights, Jenkins will undoubtedly be the more experienced fighter in this spot and the fighter I’d favour to win.
Darcy Vendy (8-3, Australia) v In Soo Hwang (8-2, South Korea) – Middleweight
As a powerful middleweight in a thin division, Darcy Vendy was stiff to miss out on DWCS this past season, but won’t miss out on an RTU showcase fight either. Vendy is a violent fighter, finishing all five of his fights since his return from hiatus in 2023 against strong opposition, and he even holds a win over current UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalenna. If guys like Cam Rowston are getting wins in the UFC, then Vendy has the skillset to really make an impact in the middleweight division. Standing across from him will be In Soo Hwang, who himself is coming off a DWCS loss to Paddy McCorry and is the perfect fighter to put in an RTU showcase. Hwang is a striker with power but struggles on the mat, where I feel Vendy could take advantage and find a submission.
Halai Wusamo (9-1, China) v Seika Izawa (16-0, Japan) – Women’s Strawweight
This is a spot where one of these women can really break out and set themselves up for UFC success in the future. Wusamo has a fairly impressive resume, given how hit and miss the Chinese regional scene can be, holding a win over the at-the-time undefeated Thanh Truc Nguyen Thi. At only 25 years old, Wusamo has shown both an ability to finish and go the distance, and is someone I’d want to take a closer look at against more seasoned opposition.
Izawa, at 27, is a decent prospect in her own right, boasting an impressive 16-0 record with most of her fights coming under RIZIN or DEEP’s banner. Whilst Izawa is typically an atomweight, she’s a damn good one at that, holding RIZIN’s Atomweight Championship; and given that weight class obviously doesn’t exist in the UFC, Izawa will need to move up to strawweight if she wants to fight in the UFC — and what better incentive to do so than for a RTU Showcase bout where she has the opportunity to get right in.
Given all that, Izawa is someone I’d really like to see get a showcase bout at Strawweight to see how her skillset translates up a weight class.
Ismail Khan (11-1, Pakistan) v Sim Kai Xiong (7-2, Singapore)
Ismail Khan is an impressive prospect with a combined 24-2 record across his professional and amateur careers, with those two losses coming to highly regarded prospects in Shakhban Gapizov and Yryskeldi Duysheev. Khan has impressively finished eight of his 11 wins, typically via submission but also having two KOs. Khan is, in all senses of the word a prospect, and has a skillset that could easily translate to the UFC. Xiong is coming off an RTU semi-finals loss to Rangbo Sulangrangbo, but has shown he has what it takes to be a valuable addition to the tournament. A capable grappler, Xiong showed off his skills against credentialed former Eternal champion Kuya Ito and proved to be a strong litmus test for his opponents. In a matchup that’s surely to take place on the ground, I’d expect Ismail Khan to be too much and find a submission.
Sanjeet Budhwar (11-2, India) v Young Jae Song (8-1-1, South Korea)
Budhwar is the current MFN Featherweight Champion and riding a five-fight win streak; however, he also hasn’t fought since March 2024. At that point, Budhwar was inarguably India’s biggest MMA star with a strong resume to back up strong performances, and he has shown he has the capability to be signed straight up to the UFC. Budhwar is a good striker whose defence has improved over time despite some clear gaps in his game.
Song is an all-action fighter with all his wins coming via finish, and a two-weight AFC champion. Song prefers to strike, but reasonably so, given the power he possesses in his hands. Song’s only loss comes in an RTU showcase in 2024 against Masuto Kawana.
In what stylistically makes to be an exciting fight, I’d predict Budhwar to get the job done, but I wouldn’t be totally surprised if Song found the chin and got the KO himself.