Road to UFC schedule: India's Anshul Jubli faces Sho Usami in opener; Pawan Maan Singh takes on China's Muratbek

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced the opening bouts of the Road to UFC contest on Monday.

The Road to UFC, which returns after a seven-year hiatus, will begin ahead of UFC 275 in its Southeast Asia debut in Singapore in June. The tournament presents a “win and advance” opportunity for the top Asian fighters who are split between four weight-classes (flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight) with eight competitors in each frame. The winner in each weight class is set to earn a UFC contract.

READ: Road to UFC fighters announced, two Indians among top 32 Asian MMA contestants

India's lightweight fighters Pawan Maan Singh and Anshul Jubli will feature in Episode 3 and 4 of the program on June 9 and 10 respectively. While Pawan Maan faces China's Ailiya Muratbek, Anshul Jubli will meet Japan's Sho "Patrick" Usami.

The opening round of the tournament will take place on June 9 and 10 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in the lead-up to UFC 275 - the promotion's first Pay-Per View (PPV) event in South East Asia.

Road to UFC opening round schedule