India’s Sumit Kumar, Rana Rudra Pratap Singh to fight in Road to UFC season two

Sumit Kumar will be up against Seung Guk Choi in the flyweight division while Rana Rudra Pratap Singh will be in action against Chang Ho Lee in a bantamweight bout.

Sumit Kumar (L) and Rana Rudra Pratap Singh. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has announced the participants for Road to UFC Season 2 on Tuesday.

The Road to UFC, which returned after a seven-year hiatus last year, presents the top 32 Asian MMA prospects with a chance to bag a prestigious UFC contract across four divisions in a “win and advance” tournament. 

Two Indians will have a shot at signing a UFC contract. Sumit Kumar will be up against Seung Guk Choi in the flyweight division while Rana Rudra Pratap Singh will be in action against Chang Ho Lee in a bantamweight bout.

The opening round will take place across two days, May 27 and 28, in Shanghai, China at the UFC Performance Institute (UFC PI).

Earlier this year, Anshul Jubli became only the second Indian-born fighter after Bharat Khandare to bag a UFC contract with a win in Vegas.

FULL LIST OF PARTICIPANTS:

Flyweight (>56.7kg)

Rei Tsuruya (Japan) vs Ronal Siahaan (Indonesia)

Mark Climaco (Philippines) vs Jung Hyun Lee (South Korea)

Ji Niushiyue (China) vs Billy Pasulatan (Indonesia)

Sumit Kumar (India) vs Seung Guk Choi (South Korea)

Bantamweight (>61.2kg)

Xiao Long (China) vs Shohei Nose (Japan)

Shuya Kamikubo (Japan) vs Jieleyisi Baergeng (China)

Eperaim Ginting (Indonesia) vs Daermisi Zhawupasi (China)

Chang Ho Lee (South Korea) vs Rana Rudra Pratap Singh (India)

Featherweight (>65.8kg)

Yi Zha (China) vs Abdul Azeem Badakhshi (Afghanistan)

Keisuke Sasu (Japan) vs Sang Won Kim (Korea)

Yibugele (China) vs Koya Kanda (Japan)

Li Kaiwen (China) vs Reza Arianto (Indonesia)

Lightweight (>70.3kg)

Seong Chan Hong (South Korea) vs Rong Zhu (China)

Kazuma Maruyama (Japan) vs Sang Uk Kim (South Korea)

Windri Patilima (Indonesia) vs Shin Haraguchi (Japan)

Won Bin Ki (South Korea) vs Batebolati Bahatebole (China)

Non-tournament bouts

Flyweight: Top Noi Kiwram (Thailand) vs Nyamjargal Tumendemberel (Mongolia)

Flyweight: Sim Kai Xiong (Singapore) vs Peter Danasoe (Thailand)

Welterweight: Nueraji Taiyilake (China) vs Han Seul Kim (Korea)

Welterweight: Chris Hofmann (Philippines) vs Sang Hoon Yoo (Korea)