Kim Sang Won (29) has reached the quarterfinals of ROAD TO UFC with a picturesque upset knockout victory.

In the featherweight quarterfinals of “ROAD TO UFC Season 2: Episode 1” at UFC Performance Institute Shanghai in China on Nov. 27, Sangwon Kim (29) knocked out Keisuke Sasu (28-Japan) at 1:42 of the second round.

Kim struggled with Keisuke’s wrestling in the first round. However, in the second round, he distracted his opponent with a left hook and then landed a right hand punch that sent him to the floor. He immediately followed up with more strikes on the ground, forcing the referee to stop the fight.

“I was expecting a tackle, and when I shuffled, I realized he was out of breath, so I poured out what I had been practicing,” Kim explained in the post-fight press conference.

In the semifinals, Kim will face last season’s runner-up, Zhai Yi (26-China). “I respect him. I think it’s going to be a scramble and it’s going to be a fun fight.”

ROAD TO UFC Flyweight champion Seung Kook Choi (26) advanced to the semifinals with a unanimous decision (29-28 29-28 29-28) over Sumit Kumar (22-India).

Choi struggled with Kumar’s wrestling early on, consistently allowing takedowns. However, he turned the tide in the second round when he landed a counter knee kick on a takedown attempt.

From then on, Kumar was too wary of the counter to confidently attempt takedowns, and Choi dominated with his striking.

After the match, Choi expressed his disappointment with his performance, saying, “I don’t feel good even though I won because I wasn’t satisfied with the content of the match,” and that he didn’t have a winning picture, whether it was striking or wrestling.

Choi Seung-guk suffered a left knee injury before the fight, but he was forced to compete because he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to 스포츠토토 enter the UFC. “My legs hurt, so I couldn’t kick low kicks confidently, and I was late with my tackles,” he said. “These things are part of the game, so I’ll do better next time.”

Choi Seung-guk, a protégé of “Korean Zombie” Chung Chan-sung (36), will face Genius Yue (23-China) for a spot in the final.

Another Chung protégé, Kim Hansul (32), had his UFC hopes dashed when he was knocked out by Tyler Nualazi (22-China) with an elbow at 1:38 of the second round.

Lee Jung Hyun (20), who competed in the flyweight tournament, lost a unanimous decision to Mark Klimako (Philippines).

ROAD TO UFC is a quarterfinal tournament featuring the top MMA prospects in Asia, with the winner receiving a UFC contract. Season 2 will feature 32 competitors in four weight classes: flyweight (56.7 kg), bantamweight (61.2 kg), featherweight (65.8 kg), and lightweight (70.3 kg).