For Jiniushiyue, the road to the UFC has been anything but straightforward.
The Chinese flyweight has spent years building his career through Asia’s competitive regional MMA scene, collecting wins, experiencing setbacks and repeatedly testing himself in the Road to UFC tournament. Now, after another successful run, the 25 year old is finally one fight away from achieving the goal that has driven his career for years.
Jiniushiyue has reached the Road to UFC Season 5 flyweight final, putting himself within touching distance of a UFC contract.
His journey has already included tournament victories, difficult losses and another chance to prove himself on the biggest developmental stage available to Asian fighters. This time, he has the opportunity to finish the job.
A long road built through Asian MMA
Jiniushiyue has developed his reputation largely through competition in Asia, where the flyweight division has produced an increasing number of fighters capable of making the jump to the UFC.
Known by the nickname “Little King Kong,” the Chinese fighter has built a record that combines striking ability with an increasingly well rounded ground game. His career has included knockout victories, submissions and decision wins, giving him experience in different types of fights.
That experience has become particularly valuable during his Road to UFC appearances.
Jiniushiyue is not a newcomer to the tournament system. He previously competed in the second season of Road to UFC and reached the final stage of that tournament before falling short of a UFC contract.
The disappointment did not end his pursuit.Instead, he continued competing and returned to the Road to UFC platform for Season 5 with another opportunity to establish himself.
Jiniushiyue’s return to Road to UFC
His latest campaign began in Macau in May, where Jiniushiyue faced Japanese fighter Kaito Oda in the opening round of the flyweight tournament.
The matchup developed into a competitive and entertaining contest, with both fighters spending significant portions of the fight scrambling and exchanging positions. Jiniushiyue ultimately did enough to secure a unanimous decision victory.
The official UFC scorecards read 30 to 27, 30 to 27 and 29 to 28 in his favor. UFC’s fight report credited the Chinese fighter with landing the more significant blows at key moments, executing timely reversals and winning important scrambles on the ground. He also finished strongly, landing a damaging elbow late in the fight. It was not the type of spectacular knockout that immediately grabs attention, but it was an important performance for Jiniushiyue.
He showed patience, composure and the ability to win a difficult fight against an opponent who refused to give him easy opportunities. More importantly, he advanced.
Experience has become one of his biggest advantages
That victory continued a pattern that has defined Jiniushiyue’s career. He has had to deal with both success and disappointment during his attempts to reach the UFC.
His earlier Road to UFC run demonstrated how difficult the tournament pathway can be. The Chinese fighter eventually suffered a setback against South Korea’s SeungGuk Choi after previously earning a first round stoppage against Indonesia’s Billy Pasulatan.
Against Pasulatan, Jiniushiyue produced one of the most impressive performances of that tournament run.
He weathered an early submission threat, escaped a buggy choke attempt and eventually took control from top position. Once he established himself on the ground, he increased his pressure and forced the referee to stop the fight at 1:56 of the first round.
The victory extended his winning streak to six fights at the time and moved him to 12 and 2 professionally. UFC described the performance as a first round stoppage and highlighted Jiniushiyue’s ability to remain composed before increasing his output.
Those experiences have given him something many younger prospects entering Road to UFC do not have. He knows what it feels like to win. He knows what it feels like to lose. And he knows exactly how much is at stake when a UFC opportunity is within reach.
An unexpected path into the Season 5 final
Jiniushiyue’s route to this year’s final took another unexpected turn in Shanghai.
He was scheduled to face Japan’s Takeru Uchida in the semifinal, but the matchup never took place.
Uchida missed the flyweight limit at the official weigh ins, coming in at 128.5 pounds, 2.5 pounds above the non title limit. The bout was subsequently removed from the card, and Jiniushiyue advanced directly to the Road to UFC final.
While advancing without fighting may appear straightforward on paper, it also creates a different challenge.
Jiniushiyue has had to maintain his preparation and focus without getting the competitive experience of a semifinal fight. His eventual opponent, meanwhile, earned his place in the final by competing. That opponent will be Japan’s Takaya Suzuki.
Suzuki represents another major test
Suzuki has emerged as one of the most promising young fighters in the Season 5 tournament. The 21 year old Japanese prospect advanced through his side of the bracket and produced another stoppage to secure his place in the final. His rapid development has made him one of the fighters to watch as the tournament approaches its conclusion.
That makes the final particularly important for Jiniushiyue. He will face a younger opponent with significant momentum, but Jiniushiyue brings something equally important: experience.
The Chinese fighter has already been through the Road to UFC process before. He has competed against a wide range of Asian opposition and has experienced the pressure of fighting with a UFC opportunity hanging over him. This time, there is no need to look beyond the next fight. One victory is enough to put him on the UFC roster.
China’s next UFC opportunity
The significance of Jiniushiyue’s run extends beyond his own career. China has become one of the UFC’s most important markets in Asia, with the promotion repeatedly using events in Shanghai and Macau to develop regional talent. Road to UFC has played a major role in that process.
The tournament operates as a win and advance pathway for fighters from the Asia Pacific region, giving prospects an opportunity to earn UFC contracts through direct competition rather than relying solely on regional rankings or matchmaking.
Jiniushiyue is now one of the latest Chinese fighters to reach the final stage of that pathway.
His success would add another Chinese fighter to the UFC roster while also giving him the opportunity to compete against the world’s best flyweights. But there is still one obstacle.
China vs Japan with everything on the line
Jiniushiyue will face Takaya Suzuki in a final that also creates a natural China versus Japan storyline.
The rivalry between the two countries has produced countless matchups across Asian combat sports, and this one comes with an especially valuable prize. For Jiniushiyue, it is another chance to complete a journey that has already taken him through multiple Road to UFC appearances.
For Suzuki, it is an opportunity to cap his rapid rise with a UFC contract at just 21 years old. The two fighters have taken different routes to the same destination. Suzuki arrives with youth and momentum.
Jiniushiyue arrives with experience and the knowledge gained from years of chasing this opportunity. For the Chinese fighter, however, the equation is simple. After coming close before, Jiniushiyue is now one victory away from finally reaching the finals.
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