Maheshate (2nd L) of China celebrates defeating Darrius Flowers of the United States after the Road to UFC Lightweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
SHANGHAI, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Maheshate needed just over two minutes to submit American Darrius Flowers in the main event of the Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals in Shanghai on Friday.
Taking the fight on seven days' notice, Maheshate exchanged heavy shots with Flowers before the American secured a takedown. From his back, Maheshate threatened a kimura before switching to a tight guillotine choke, maintaining his grip as Flowers attempted to slam his way free and forcing the tap 2:31 into the opening round.
In the co-main event, Chinese middleweight Yilizhati Maimaitijiang fought Tre'ston Vines to a draw on his UFC debut.
After an evenly contested opening round, Vines increasingly imposed his wrestling, but Yilizhati rallied dramatically late in the third, rocking the American with a sustained striking attack and leaving him unsteady at the final horn. One judge awarded Yilizhati the final round 10-8.
The event featured semifinals in women's strawweight, flyweight, bantamweight and featherweight, with the winners advancing to the Road to UFC Season 5 finals and competing for UFC contracts. The main and co-main events were separate official UFC bouts outside the tournament.
Elsewhere on the Road to UFC semifinal card, South Korea's Park Bo-hyun edged Kyrgyzstan's Farida Abdueva by decision in a bloody strawweight contest, with doctors twice checking a deep cut on Abdueva in the second round.
Japan's Ryo Tajima outpointed India's Chungreng Koren at bantamweight, largely neutralizing Koren's wrestling, while Mongolia's Dagiisuren Chagnaadorj submitted South Korea's Song Young-jae with a rear-naked choke at featherweight.
Takaya Suzuki stopped Joseph Larcinese with a body shot in a one-sided flyweight contest, while China's Meng Bo claimed a razor-thin split decision over Japan's Machi Fukuda.
Kasib Murdoch also advanced via split decision over Nepal's Rabindra Dhant despite being outgrappled for long spells, while Australia's George Mangos submitted China's Ahejiang Ailinuer with a rear-naked choke, his Brazilian jiu-jitsu ultimately overcoming Ailinuer's wrestling. ■
Yilizhai Maimaitijiang (front) of China competes against Treston Vines of the United States during the Road to UFC Middleweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Maheshate of China celebrates after defeating Darrius Flowers of the United States at the Road to UFC Lightweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Maheshate (L) of China competes against Darrius Flowers of the United States during the Road to UFC Lightweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Yilizhai Maimaitijiang (C) of China greets spectators after competing against Treston Vines of the United States at the Road to UFC Middleweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Yilizhai Maimaitijiang (R) of China competes against Treston Vines of the United States during the Road to UFC Middleweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Maheshate (R) of China competes against Darrius Flowers of the United States during the Road to UFC Lightweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Maheshate of China celebrates after defeating Darrius Flowers of the United States at the Road to UFC Lightweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
Maheshate (L) of China competes against Darrius Flowers of the United States during the Road to UFC Lightweight Bout 3 Rounds at the Oriental Sports Center in east China's Shanghai, Aug. 28, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Ming)
