Chris Hofmann crashes out of Road to UFC

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino-Swiss mixed martial arts fighter Chris Hofmann was eliminated from the Road to UFC tournament at the UFC Performance Institute in Shanghai, China, when he was knocked out at the 3:10 mark of the third round by Korean Sang Hoon Yoo.

Sadly, for Hofmann, he looked like he was going to advance to the semifinals of this tournament where the winner receives a contract with the UFC.

He took Round 1 by a slim margin with some strikes and a takedown. The Korean bounced back in the second round with a late flurry that stunned Hofmann, who looked gassed.

Hofmann, who had knocked out his nine previous foes, was looking to land the big punch. His timing was off and those swings were taking their toll on him. 

By the third round, a strike found the mark and floored Yoo. Hofmann waded in with a barrage of shots and hammer fists but his foe escaped. Yoo then stung Hofmann with a right then landed two knees, the second which sent the Fil-Swiss fighter to the canvas as the referee called an end to the fight. 

It was Hofmann’s second loss in 11 matches, and it was painful because it was a shot for a UFC contract. He was on his way to a win when Yoo turned the tables on him.

Hofmann’s exit leaves only Filipino-American fighter Mark Climaco, who a day earlier took a unanimous decision win over Korean Jung Hyun Lee. 

Since this competition began in Singapore in June 2022, three of the four Filipino fighters have not advanced beyond the opening round. Last year, Wallen del Rosario and John Adajar were sent home after the first round. 

Like Hofmann, Adajar was leading his opponent when he made a mistake on the canvas that gave his opponent an opportunity to slip in a submission hold. 

The semifinal event for Climaco and Japanese fighter Rei Tsuruya has yet to be announced.

Road to UFC is among the weekly UFC events televised live in the Philippines via the Premier Sports channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as on the TapGo TV streaming application. 

The next event is UFC Fight Night Kai Kara France vs. Amir Albazi that slated for Sunday, June 4.