On June 9, Chinese mixed martial artist Qiu Lun made history by beating Filipino fighter Wallen Del Rosario in the second episode of Road to UFC: Singapore, an MMA tournament organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Qiu was able to earn 10 points in all three rounds and was proclaimed the winner by a unanimous jury.
Road to UFC: Singapore’s quarterfinals are being held on June 9 and 10 ahead of the pay-per-view UFC 275 on June 11, where Chinese MMA icon Zhang Weili will enter the Octagon against Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
The event series features four men’s divisions, flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight, with eight participants from across Asia in each bracket.
The semifinals and finals of the tournament will take place later this year. Winners of each division will be awarded a contract with the UFC, the world’s most prominent MMA promotion.
Qiu’s ascendance to the semifinals — where he will face South Korea’s Seung Guk Choi — represents a significant victory for the 25-year-old fighter, who aspires to join the UFC and win a world championship. His inspiring story is told in the second episode of Way of the Warrior, a two-part RADII documentary produced by Brian A. Wong and directed by Billy Starman.
Watch Way of the Warrior to learn more about Qiu Lun’s journey and get unique insights into the growing MMA scene in China:
Cover image via Way of the Warrior
