ROAD TO UFC 2 Semifinals in Singapore: UFC flyweights predictions

Road To UFC 2 Semifinals will be held during the weekend of UFC Singapore 2023: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie, which will be headlined by two of the best featherweights in the world: No. 2-ranked former title contender Max Holloway versus No. 7-ranked contender Chan Sung Jung.

To make it a full weekend of action on their return to Singapore, UFC will host the semifinals for ROAD TO UFC Season 2, the only tournament where the best MMA prospects from across Asia compete for UFC contracts on Sunday (August 27).

The tournament features four divisions: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight. Out of those divisions, the flyweights reign supreme in Asia because they continually thrill audiences with their speed, skills and fearless attitudes.

Flyweights such as Japan's Tatsuro Taira, who just delivered a career-defining victory at UFC 290. And China's current #12 ranked Sumudaerji who is the first UFC fighter of Tibetan ethnicity. Next to join them on the UFC roster will be ROAD TO UFC Season 1 winner Hyunsung Park from South Korea.

These three athletes are keeping a close eye on the tournament. Below, they give their insight and predictions for their fellow flyweight hopefuls who've advanced to the crucial semifinals of ROAD TO UFC Season 2.

The opening round for Season 2 of ROAD TO UFC 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. In the flyweight division (>56.7kg), four winners advanced to the semifinals:

Decorated national wrestler 21-year old Rei Tsuruya (7-0, fighting out of Chiba, Japan) faces well-rounded tactician Mark Climaco (9-1, fighting out of Fremont, CA, USA and representing the Philippines)

22-year old dedicated finisher Jiniushiyue "Little King Kong" (12-2, fighting out of Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China) faces Road to UFC Season 1 finalist, well-rounded wrestler Seung Guk Choi (7-2, Seoul, South Korea)

UFC #12 flyweight Sumudaerji (16-5, fighting out of Sichuan, China) Prediction: "I'm paying a lot of attention to the flyweights in the tournament. I really like the style of Rei Tsuruya, as he's young but super talented in wrestling and BJJ. He has a big chance to become a finalist.

"Jiniushiyue is my teammate. His next opponent is Choi, who fought another of my teammates Qiu Lun before. Qiu Lun, Jiniushiyue and I grew up together, so we shared our ideas with him on how to beat Choi.

"I think Jiniushiyue is more aggressive and well-rounded than Choi, and he will fight a very different fight than he did in the opening round. He will show the world that he's a finisher."

UFC flyweight Tatsuro Taira (14-0, fighting out of Okinawa, Japan) Prediction: "Rei Tsuruya and Mark Climaco have given the impression of being skilled in ground techniques and become more aggressive when they secure a top position and go for a submission.

"Therefore, the one who gets top position will have the advantage. I believe that Rei, with his great wrestling skill set, will take the top position, chip away with strikes such as ground and pound, and ultimately secure a submission to win.

"Based on their first-round performances, Jiniushiyue and Seung Guk Choi give the complete opposite impression of Rei versus Mark Climaco: they are more focused on striking.

"Choi made it to the final in Season 1, and I remember watching his fight at the UFC APEX in February because I fought on the same card. I believe he is a well-rounded fighter with excellent skills overall. However, based on Jiniushiyue's movement in the opening round, he has a slight advantage in aggressiveness and responsiveness."

UFC flyweight and ROAD TO UFC Season 1 winner Hyun-Sung Park (8-0, fighting out of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea) Prediction: "My experience in ROAD TO UFC Season 1 was hard but also fun, I fought a lot in a short period of time, and I think I grew up a lot through this tournament.

"It was hard back then, but when I look back, it was fun and valuable experience. I enjoyed watching the opening round of Season 2 because there were a lot of flyweight fighters that I knew.

"I think Rei Tsuruya will beat Mark Climaco. He's a southpaw, he's better physically and better at wrestling than Mark, so I think he'll win in the grappling exchanges. Mark is also good at everything in MMA, so I'm looking forward to the fight! I think Rei Tsuruya will win the flyweight tournament.

"I think Seung Guk Choi will beat Jiniushiyue by decision. Based on my experience fighting Choi in the finals on Season 1, I think he is better overall than Jiniushiyue. However, the momentum of Chinese fighters is so good these days that I'm so excited to see this fight!"