Fans who are hardcore enough to wake up at 3am on Saturday, or overseas fans who usually are forced to do so, were rewarded with an excellent preliminary card from Macau, China.
The opening fights were good: Nikolas Motta knocked Maheshate down multiple times to win a decision and Xiao Long punctuated a solid performance with a big knockout with his hands.
The third fight, between rising undefeated flyweight prospects Lone’er Kavanagh and Jose Ochoa, delivered constant action too, and at a high level for two men making their UFC debut.
Carlos Hernandez then won a controversial decision over Nyamjargal Tumendemberel where Hernandez was almost finished twice but won more minutes of the fight.
The real highlights of the prelims, however, shocked everyone. The entire second season of Road to UFC, the UFC audition tournament for the Far East, had been filled with decision after decision.
On this Saturday night in China, Sunday morning in America, Road to UFC suddenly became known for two massive knockouts.
SHI MING WHAT A HEADKICK #UFCMacau pic.twitter.com/xiB4azmc0B
— Steven Rae (@stevenrae_) November 23, 2024
First, Shi Meng landed an improbable head kick knockout when down by two rounds to Xiaocan Feng in the women’s strawweight tourney final.
The mood in the stadium was still muted due to Feng needing to be stretchered out, unable to stand. However it recovered when the male flyweight finale of the tournament saw South Korea’s Dong Hoon Choi knock out Kiru Sahota with a beautiful right hook after Sahota insisted on a pocket exchange with him and stayed there to brawl for too long.
GAHHHH pic.twitter.com/tOReCmGjDY
— Heavyweight Thanos (@MMAThanos) November 23, 2024
Choi made himself into an instant fan favorite with his funny reactions, faces, and dances in the aftermath, such as doing the Gangnam Style dance, as well as looking surprised when the winner was officially announced even though he won by knockout.
— MMA Mania (@mmamania) November 23, 2024
The featured prelim, the RTU bantamweight final, saw another Korean do well as Su Young You comprehensively defeated Balgyn Jenisuly by landing 42 significant strikes to Jenisuly’s 9, as well as out-grappling his foe.
