UFC hopeful has controversial result overturned to move one step closer to contract with Dana White

Asia-Pacific prospects have just battled it out for a chance to earn a UFC contract.

Road to UFC returned on Thursday and Friday ahead of the promotion’s Fight Night card at Galaxy Arena in Macau this weekend.

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The tournament offers up-and-coming fighters from the region a direct path to a contract with Dana White‘s promotion.

Three consecutive first-round knockouts ended day one of Road to UFC events, with Chinese lightweight veteran Rongzhu stopping Victor Martinez in the main event.

Road to UFC 5.2 followed a similar pattern on Friday.

Four of the opening bouts ended inside the distance, before viral sensation Shi Ming submitted the UFC’s sole Indian representative Puja Tomar in the headliner.

However, one fight in particular has made the headlines due to its peculiar ending.

Not eyedeal

Women’s strawweight Xiaocan Feng was hoping for another run at a UFC contract after being horrendously knocked out by Ming in the season three finale in 2024 when she faced 22-year-old Farida Abdueva.

Just two minutes into the contest, Abdueva caught Feng with a sharp left hand and the latter immediately covered up in pain.

Referee Lukasz Bosacki instantly stepped in to call a timeout as Feng rubbed her eye, squinting against the fence, similar to how Tom Aspinall‘s heavyweight title fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 ended.

But those in the commentary booth quickly pointed out that Abdueva’s strike was ‘definitely a punch’ as a replay showed it was only the Kazakhstani’s knuckles that connected with Feng.

More time passed, and, after the commission’s review, Abdueva vs Feng was ruled a no-contest, despite the former’s blow looking anything but illegal.

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“That should be a TKO,” recently retired UFC welterweight Michael Chiesa said.

“I just feel like this is unfair to Farida Abdueva because that was a clean shot.”

Fans were left annoyed by the unfair ruling, calling for Abdueva to advance in the tournament.

And just minutes after both women left the Octagon, MMA manager Daniel Rubenstein revealed the result had been changed.

“Just got confirmation,” he wrote on X.

“The no-contest result will be overturned to a round one TKO win for Farida.

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“And she advances to the semi-finals.”

Abdueva will now face South Korean Bo-hyun Park in the semi-finals before a potential final against Bo Meng or Machi Fukuda.

The UFC’s bouts in Macau this week are part of a multi-year partnership to bring events to the special administrative region of China through 2029.