ROAD TO UFC Season 2 Semifinals: Pioneer Mizugaki Previews Bantamweights Chasing Aljamain Sterling

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UFC arrives in Singapore next week for UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. The Korean Zombie followed by Road To UFC Season 2, where 16 Asian MMA athletes will be fighting for a chance to get a step closer to landing four UFC contracts.

On August 27, the Singapore Indoor Stadium will play hosts to RTU Season 2 semifinals, which will see bantamweights, lightweights, featherweights and flyweights from across Asia do battle in the Octagon.

Before that, UFC will host UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley, where the Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling defends his title against Sean O'Malley in the headliner. Next week, one of the four will be soon chasing Sterling or whoever is the Bantamweight holder.

So, with that in context, a batamweight pioneer and UFC veteran Takeya Mizugaki predicts which fighter will come out on top in the tournament and also previewed both the bantamweight semifinals bouts that will take place at Road To UFC season.

Mizugaki, who has an impressive 20-year career with over 40 fights in the upper echelons of MMA, including champ Aljamain Sterling, Dominick Cruz, Urijah Faber, and Miguel Torres, previews the four bantamweights who are competing in the 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 bantamweight division (>61.2kg), four winners advanced to the semifinals:

• Experienced, aggressive striker Xiao Long (25-7, fighting out of Hunan, China) faces relentless grappler Shuya Kamikubo (13-1-1, fighting out of Tokyo, Japan)

• Submission specialist Daermisi Zhawupasi (7-0, fighting out of Shanghai, China) faces well-rounded grinder Chang Ho Lee (8-1, fighting out of Goyang, South Korea)

Kamikubo vs Long Prediction

Mizugaki, who is currently a UFC commentator, has backed compatriot Kamikubo from the opening round and believes his takedown approach will be key against his Chinese opponent, who will look to capitalize on his striking ability.

"I identified Kamikubo as a top contender before the opening round. However, in the first round he had a tougher fight than expected, securing a victory via a split decision. He struggled to execute takedowns and couldn't bring the fight to his preferred style, which seemed to exhaust him.

"It will be interesting to see how he approaches his next fight after experiencing such a challenge. Xiao Long had a victorious first round against Nose, successfully defending against his takedown attempts.

"Kamikubo's style revolves around gradually advancing his position and chipping away at his opponents once he gets the takedown, so this could be difficult for Xiao Long to counter. Xiao Long might see this as an opportunity to keep the fight on the feet, as he can capitalize on his striking.

"The key aspects to watch will be how Kamikubo can execute his takedowns and whether Xiao Long can defend or counter and take the fight to his own ground game. The initial takedown attempts by Kamikubo will be crucial in shaping the course of the fight."

Mizugaki feels the involvement of two Chinese athletes in the semifinal and the field dominated by Japan and South Korea makes the bantamweight division even more competitive.

"Until recently, Japan and South Korea were the leading forces in Asian MMA. However, with two Chinese fighters making it to the semifinals in the highly competitive bantamweight division, it's evident that China's evolution in the sport is remarkable," added Mizugaki.

Zhawupasi vs Chang Ho Lee Prediction

Unlike the first semifinal which will be striking vs takedowns, Mizugaki predicts the second semifinal to be a tightly contested battle and fight that will be won on the ground by submission or ground and pound.

"Zhawupasi is known for his strong grappling skills and aggressive pursuit of submissions. Chang Ho Lee is a well-rounded fighter, and it seems he might have an advantage in striking exchanges. The key to this matchup could be whether Zhawupasi can successfully execute takedowns," Mizugaki said.

"If Chang Ho Lee cannot establish a striking advantage, the fight could become intriguing. Chang Ho Lee 's ground and pound style against Zhawupasi's submission attempts would make for a highly engaging battle.

"Watching how Zhawupasi counters from the bottom against Chang's top position and ground-and-pound, or how Chang deals with Zhawupasi's submission attempts and scrambles, are elements that personally I would love to witness. It's the kind of showdown where the fight's outcome may be decided based on the grappling exchanges."

Road To UFC Season 2 Bantamweight Final Prediction

Finally, Mizugaki feels Kamikubo and Chang will battle for the contract in the summit clash, in which he feels predicting the outcome will be difficult, but expects an engaging and competitive event.

"I predict that Kamikubo and Chang Ho Lee will advance to the finals. I believe that despite Xiao Long's overall improvement as an MMA fighter, Kamikubo's dominant pattern may surpass him," the veteran Japanese fighter said.

"As for Chang Ho Lee, I feel that he is well-balanced and can handle both striking and grappling, which could give him an advantage in the fight. Having said that, I truly believe all four fighters are strong contenders and have the potential to reach the finals, making the semifinals incredibly exciting.

"Predicting the outcomes of these high-level matches is difficult, but it certainly adds to the anticipation and excitement surrounding the tournament. We'll have to wait and see how the semifinals play out, and regardless of the results, it promises to be an engaging and competitive event."