'Stun Gun' Kim Dong-hyun's disciple included: Four Korean fighters challenge for UFC entry... ROAD TO UFC Season 5 kicks off

*This content was translated by AI.

South Korea's next-generation mixed martial arts stars will engage in a true showdown in Macau for a chance to enter the world's premier stage, the UFC.

The UFC announced that it will hold the ROAD TO UFC Season 5 opening round on May 28 and 29 (Korean time) over two days at the Galaxy Arena in Macau, China.

The tournament will be held as part of the UFC Fight Night: Song Yadong vs. Figueiredo fight week, which takes place at the same venue on the 30th. It will be an eight-man, weight-class tournament offering UFC contract opportunities to promising fighters from the Asia-Pacific region.

South Korea will send four fighters this season: women's strawweight Park Bo-hyun (26), women's bantamweight Shin Yu-min (24), featherweight Song Young-jae (30), and featherweight Im Kwan-woo (24), aiming to produce the country's sixth champion. South Korea has already produced the most champions in Asia, with five winners from Seasons 1 through 4: Park Hyun-seong, Lee Jung-young, Lee Chang-ho, Choi Dong-hoon, and Yoo Soo-young, establishing its status as a powerhouse in Asian combat sports.

On the first day of the tournament, the 28th, the quarterfinals for the bantamweight and featherweight divisions will take place. Notably, in the featherweight division, Song Young-jae (9 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss), known as a disciple of 'Stun Gun' Kim Dong-hyun and the AFC featherweight champion, will compete. Song, who boasts a 100% finish rate, will face Japan's Deep featherweight champion Aoi Jin (16 wins, 1 draw, 6 losses). Aoi Jin previously lost to Song's teammate Yoon Chang-min in the Season 4 quarterfinals.

In the same weight class, Im Kwan-woo (5 wins, 1 loss) will face China's Ahe Zhang Airinuer (16 wins, 3 losses). Im, who possesses overwhelming physical stature at 188cm, is determined to carry his recent upward momentum onto the ROAD TO UFC stage. In the bantamweight division, Ring Championship champion Shin Yu-min (6 wins, 1 loss) will take her first step toward entering the UFC against Japan's Miyaguchi Ryo (7 wins, undefeated).

On the 29th, the women's strawweight opening round will feature Shooto women's strawweight provisional champion Park Bo-hyun (8 wins, 3 losses). Park will face China's skilled grappler Dong Huashang (14 wins, 3 losses). Dong Huashang is a strong competitor who narrowly lost to the eventual champion, Saming, in the Season 3 semifinals, making this a challenging test for Park.

This tournament also features a special main event with champions from previous seasons. On the 28th, Season 2 lightweight champion Long Zhu will compete, and on the 29th, Season 3 women's strawweight champion Saming (both from China) will take the stage to add to the event's excitement.

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*This content was translated by AI.