Mark Climaco with chance to advance in Road to UFC semis

MANILA, Philippines – The UFC announced the Road to UFC Season 2 semifinals on August 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, site of the inaugural series that began last year.

The round took place on May 27 and 28 at the UFC Performance Institute Shanghai, where 32 martial arts athletes competed in each of four men’s weight classes — flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight, with four winners in each division having advanced to the semifinals.

For the August 27 offering, decorated Japanese wrestler Rei Tsuruya (7-0) faces well-rounded tactician Filipino-American Mark Climaco (9-1) in a flyweight match.

“With every stage of this competition, it gets tougher and tougher,” observed Climaco. “You expect that when everyone wants to compete in the UFC.”

“The plan is to fly in early and get acclimated to the time zone so I am also relaxed. This will be a tough match-up against Tsuruya as he is a well-skilled fighter. But I am tough too. I have to learn from my baptism of fire in this tournament and really bring it to Singapore.”

The other semifinals series pits 22-year-old Chinese finisher Jiniushiyue "Little King Kong" (12-2) against well-rounded Korean wrestler Seung Guk Choi (7-2).

The pair of battles in the bantamweight division will see Xiao Long (25-7), a highly aggressive striker out of China, taking on the equally relentless Japanese grappler Shuya Kamikubo (13-1-1); while the other card pits Chinese submission specialist Daermisi Zhawupasi (7-0) against South Korea’s Chang Ho Lee (8-1). 

The featherweight pairings have seasoned Chinese tactician Yizha (23-4) facing the skilled South Korean Sang Won Kim (10-5-1), and entertaining all-rounder Japanese finisher Koya Kanda (12-4) battling another Chinese striker in Li Kaiwen (11-5).

In the lightweight category, former UFC athlete and finisher Rongzhu (23-5), who is fighting out of Sichuan, China, will find out if his experience is enough to turn back the multi-skilled South Korean Sangwook Kim (9-2).

For his part, Japanese wrestler Shin Haraguchi (6-0-1NC) faces pressure from Chinese striker Bahatebole Batebolati (8-1-1).

In a non-tournament flyweight match, flashy Thai finisher Peter "The Asian Viking" Danasoe (6-2) goes up against undefeated Mongolian stand out Nyamjargal "Art of KO" Tumendemberel (7-0).

Road to the UFC will be televised on the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as the on TapGo TV streaming application.