UNDEFEATED INDIAN MMA FIGHTER Anshul Jubli will face South Korean opponent Kim Kyung Pyo in the semi-finals of the Road to UFC Lightweight tournament.
Anshul (5-0) was supposed to face Patrick Sho Usami in the quarter final round of the tournament. But during the weight cut before the fight, Usami faced certain health issues and was unable to make the Lightweight limit of 155 pounds (Approximately 70 kilograms). As a result, Anshul was given a bye to the semis.
Meanwhile, Kim Kyung Pyo (11-3) launched his bid to bag the coveted UFC contract in an explosive fashion by knocking out his Chinese opponent Asikeerbai Jinensibieke in just 30 seconds of the very first round.
Kim is the second South Korean in the tournament to get a knockout win in just 30 seconds. Earlier, Ki Won Bin did the same, getting the early stoppage over his Japanese opponent Jonnonsuke Kashimura.
Ki Won Bin will face Jeka Saragih in his semi-final bout. Jeka is the Indonesian fighter who knocked out Pawan Maan Singh, the only other Indian fighter in the tournament, in the third round of their quarter final match-up.
Although Anshul has remained unbeaten throughout his amateur career as well as 5 professional bouts at Matrix Fight Night, he will have his task cut out for him in the semis. Kim Kyung Pyo not only has more experience, but he has also fought against a diversity of styles in his professional career which has spanned across 10 different MMA promotions across the world.
If Anshul manages to win the tournament he will become the second Indian citizen ever to make it into the roster of the biggest MMA promotion in the world, after Bharat Kandare.
The semi-final round bouts are expected to take place within the next two months.