Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals decide the tournament finalists in Shanghai
Road to UFC narrowed four Season 5 tournaments down to their final matchups on August 28, with the semifinals taking over the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai. Road to UFC Shanghai featured featherweight, bantamweight, flyweight and women's strawweight tournament fights alongside two official UFC bouts at the top of the card.
The tournament stakes were simple: win in Shanghai and move one fight away from a UFC contract. George Mangos, Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj, Rabindra Dhant, Ryo Tajima, Takaya Suzuki, Meng Bo and Bo Hyun Park all booked spots in their respective finals, while Jiniushiyue advanced at flyweight after Takeru Uchida missed weight and their semifinal was cancelled.
Maheshate Hayisaer submits Darrius Flowers in the main event
The tournament wasn't actually responsible for the night's headliner. Maheshate Hayisaer met Darrius Flowers in an official UFC lightweight bout, and Maheshate made quick work of the assignment.
In Hayisaer vs. Flowers, Maheshate secured a guillotine choke and forced the submission at 2:31 of the first round. It was an important result for the Chinese lightweight on home soil and gave the Shanghai card a finish in its main event.
Treston Vines vs Yilizhati ends in a split draw
The co-main event produced the most unusual result of the card. Treston Vines and Yilizhati went the full 15 minutes in their UFC middleweight bout, but the judges could not produce a winner.
Vines vs. Yilizhati was officially ruled a split draw after a competitive fight that had both men finding stretches of success.
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George Mangos and Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj reach the featherweight final
George Mangos had to work through a competitive opening round against Ailinuer Ahejiang, but his grappling eventually took over. Mangos repeatedly threatened submissions before taking the back in the second round and finishing Mangos vs. Ahejiang by rear-naked choke at 2:03.
His final opponent will be Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj, who needed considerably less time against Young Jae Song. The Mongolian featherweight immediately brought the fight to the ground, took Song's back and secured a rear-naked choke at 2:51 of Round 1 in Chagnaadorj vs. Song.
That sets up George Mangos vs. Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj for the Road to UFC Season 5 featherweight tournament final.
Rabindra Dhant and Ryo Tajima advance at bantamweight
Rabindra Dhant continued his run through the tournament with a close split-decision win over Kasib Murdoch. Dhant vs. Murdoch mixed hard striking exchanges with lengthy grappling sequences, with Dhant doing enough to take two of the three scorecards.
Waiting for him in the final is Ryo Tajima. The Japanese bantamweight settled into Tajima vs. Koren after an aggressive opening from Chungreng Koren, using cleaner and more frequent striking as the fight progressed. Tajima won by unanimous decision, 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28.
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Bo Hyun Park survives Farida Abdueva and earns a final against Meng Bo
Bo Hyun Park had to recover after Farida Abdueva enjoyed the better opening round of their strawweight semifinal. Park changed the tone as the fight went on, forcing rougher exchanges and opening a nasty cut on Abdueva's forehead with an elbow.
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Park controlled much of the final two rounds of Park vs. Abdueva and earned a unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring it 29-28.
Her opponent in the final will be veteran Meng Bo, who advanced with a split-decision victory over Machi Fukuda. Meng's patience and defensive grappling helped her edge Meng vs. Fukuda, creating a China vs. South Korea matchup for the Season 5 women's strawweight tournament title.
Takaya Suzuki scores the standout stoppage of the semifinals
Takaya Suzuki produced one of the night's most memorable finishes against Joe Larcinese. Suzuki's speed and variety had caused problems throughout Suzuki vs. Larcinese, and the Japanese flyweight poured it on almost immediately after the third round began.
A damaging body kick helped start the finishing sequence before Suzuki swarmed with follow-up strikes, ending the fight just 15 seconds into Round 3.
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Takaya Suzuki continues his stellar #RTU5 run with a third-round TKO!
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Suzuki will face Jiniushiyue in the flyweight final. Jiniushiyue did not compete in Shanghai after Takeru Uchida came in above the flyweight limit, cancelling their scheduled semifinal and sending Jiniushiyue directly through.
Road to UFC Shanghai full results
- Maheshate Hayisaer def. Darrius Flowers by submission (guillotine choke), Round 1, 2:31
- Treston Vines vs. Yilizhati ended in a split draw
- George Mangos def. Ailinuer Ahejiang by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 2, 2:03
- Rabindra Dhant def. Kasib Murdoch by split decision
- Meng Bo def. Machi Fukuda by split decision
- Takaya Suzuki def. Joe Larcinese by TKO (strikes), Round 3, 0:15
- Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj def. Young Jae Song by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:51
- Ryo Tajima def. Chungreng Koren by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Bo Hyun Park def. Farida Abdueva by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Road to UFC Season 5 finals
- Featherweight: George Mangos vs. Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj
- Bantamweight: Ryo Tajima vs. Rabindra Dhant
- Women's Strawweight: Meng Bo vs. Bo Hyun Park
- Flyweight: Takaya Suzuki vs. Jiniushiyue
Road to UFC Shanghai results FAQ
Who won the Road to UFC Shanghai main event?
Maheshate Hayisaer defeated Darrius Flowers by first-round guillotine choke at 2:31.
What happened in Treston Vines vs Yilizhati?
The middleweight co-main event between Treston Vines and Yilizhati went all three rounds and was officially ruled a split draw.
Who advanced to the Road to UFC Season 5 finals?
George Mangos, Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj, Ryo Tajima, Rabindra Dhant, Meng Bo, Bo Hyun Park and Takaya Suzuki advanced through victories in Shanghai. Jiniushiyue reached the flyweight final by walkover after Takeru Uchida missed weight.
Who will George Mangos fight in the Road to UFC final?
George Mangos will face Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj in the Season 5 featherweight final after both fighters won their Shanghai semifinals by rear-naked choke.
Who will Rabindra Dhant fight in the Road to UFC final?
Rabindra Dhant will face Ryo Tajima in the bantamweight final after Dhant defeated Kasib Murdoch by split decision and Tajima beat Chungreng Koren unanimously.
Where did the Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals take place?
The Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals were held on August 28, 2026 at the Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China.
How do fighters earn a UFC contract through Road to UFC?
Road to UFC is a tournament pathway for Asia-Pacific prospects. Fighters advance through the tournament brackets, with the eventual divisional winners earning the opportunity to secure multi-fight UFC contracts.