Road to UFC returned to Galaxy Arena in Macau with a marathon opening day (May 28) that delivered finishes, upsets, and breakout performances across the featherweight and bantamweight tournament brackets. The annual talent pipeline for Asia Pacific prospects once again showcased the region’s depth, with fighters from China, Korea, Mongolia, Japan, India, Nepal, and Australia all stepping into the spotlight featuring fighters such as Young Jae Song, Gwan Woo Lim, Kasib Murdoch, and Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj.
For Korean fans, Day One brought a mix of heartbreak and triumph. Gwan Woo Lim suffered a tough decision loss early in the featherweight bracket, while Young Jae Song delivered one of the most dramatic comebacks of the entire event with a late second round submission. The stakes were high from the opening bell, and the action never slowed.
Aheijian Ailinuer Defeats Gwan Woo Lim by Unanimous Decision
In one of the most anticipated featherweight tournament bouts of the day, Korean prospect Gwan Woo Lim entered with size, composure, and a reputation for technical discipline. However, Aheijian Ailinuer executed a flawless grappling centered game plan that neutralized Lim’s strengths from the opening exchange.
Ailinuer repeatedly closed distance, secured takedowns, and controlled the scrambles with sharp transitions. Lim attempted to create space and work back to his feet, but Ailinuer’s pressure never relented. Across all three rounds, the Chinese featherweight dictated pace and position, earning a clean sweep on the scorecards.
The judges returned identical tallies of thirty twenty seven, handing Lim a disappointing exit from the tournament and giving Ailinuer his fourth straight victory.
Young Jae Song Submits Jin Aoi at 3:39 of Round Two
If Lim’s loss was a setback for Korean fans, Young Jae Song quickly restored the energy with one of the most dramatic finishes of the morning. Facing Japan’s Jin Aoi, Song entered with a perfect finishing rate and the reputation of a dangerous but sometimes chaotic competitor. That reputation proved accurate.
Song was warned for a fence grab in the first round and then penalized a point in the second after landing an illegal knee on a grounded opponent. The deduction put him in a precarious position on the scorecards, and Aoi appeared to be gaining confidence as the round progressed.
But Song thrives in chaos. As the two clinched along the fence late in the second round, Song pulled Aoi off the cage, secured back control in one fluid motion, and immediately locked in a rear naked choke. The squeeze forced the tap at three minutes and thirty nine seconds, preserving Song’s perfect finishing rate and punching his ticket to the semifinals.
Full Results Road to UFC Season 5 Day One
Below is the complete list of tournament results from Day One, based entirely on the official UFC report.
Lightweight Bout
- Rong Zhu def. Victor Martinez — TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:10
Featherweight Bout
- Xie Bin def. Yudi Cahyadi — TKO (punches), Round 1, 2:05
Featherweight Bout
- George Mangos def. Yuito Yanagawa — KO (knee to the body), Round 1, 3:19
Featherweight Tournament Bout
- Ahejiang Ailinuer def. Lim Gwan‑woo — Unanimous Decision (30 27, 30 27, 30 27)
Bantamweight Tournament Bout
- Kasib Murdoch def. Yunosuke Minami — Submission (arm triangle choke), Round 3, 3:46
Featherweight Tournament Bout
- Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj def. Regezhen — Split Decision (29 28, 28 29, 29 28)
Bantamweight Tournament Bout
- Rabindra Dhant def. Kimbert Alintozon — TKO (punches), Round 2, 4:37
Bantamweight Tournament Bout
- Ryo Tajima def. Ti Haitao — Split Decision (29 28, 28 29, 29 28)
Featherweight Tournament Bout
- Song Young‑jae def. Jin Aoi — Submission (rear naked choke), Round 2, 3:39
Bantamweight Tournament Bout
Chungreng Koren def. Ryuho Miyaguchi — Submission (rear naked choke), Round 2, 4:00
What’s Next?
Day One of Road to UFC Season Five delivered everything fans expect from this proving ground format. The featherweight bracket in particular looks explosive, with Young Jae Song now set for a semifinal showdown against Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj. Song’s ability to finish fights from chaotic positions makes him one of the most dangerous fighters remaining in the field.
For Gwan Woo Lim, the loss is a setback but not a derailment. His size, technique, and composure remain clear strengths, but Ailinuer’s relentless wrestling exposed areas that can be sharpened before his next campaign.
Across the rest of the card, Kasib Murdoch looked every bit like a future UFC level bantamweight, Rabindra Dhant electrified Nepalese fans with a dominant stoppage, and George Mangos delivered a violent first round finish that immediately set the tone for the day.
Road to UFC continues tomorrow with Day Two, where more tournament brackets will unfold and additional prospects will attempt to secure their place in the semifinals.
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