Lightweights meet in the Road to UFC Season 4 finals on Saturday night, as Sangwook Kim takes on Dom Mar Fan at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia.
Kim (13–3, 5 KOs, 4 SUB) punched his ticket to the finale with back-to-back second-round finishes, most recently submitting Yawei Ren last August. Fan (8–2, 3 SUB) advanced with a pair of unanimous decisions, capped by a victory over Jae Hyun Park.
Road to UFC, which launched in 2022, is an annual win-and-advance tournament that provides top MMA prospects from the Asia Pacific with a pathway to earning a UFC contract.
Fan enters as a -135 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Kim sits as a +114 underdog. The total is set at 2.5 rounds.
Kim vs. Fan Preview
Sangwook Kim
Kim, 32, competed in the second season of RTU, securing a first-round submission in the opening round before falling to eventual winner Rongzhu on the scorecards. He bounced back with a pair of regional victories and has bulldozed through his first two bouts of this season’s tournament.
Dubbed “Frogman,” Kim is a jiu-jitsu specialist who leans on his suffocating top pressure. He secured a crucifix TKO over Daichi Kamiya before locking up a rear-naked choke against Ren to reach the Season 4 final.
Facing what could be his last chance to secure a UFC contract, the veteran lightweight figures to leave nothing to chance on Saturday night.
Dom Mar Fan
Fan, 25, will attempt to join his teammate, Tom Nolan, on the UFC roster with a win in front of his home crowd. The Australian standout is riding back-to-back unanimous decisions in RTU and boasts an impressive resume in Eternal MMA.
Nicknamed “Street Buddha,” Fan is a well-rounded competitor whose only two professional losses have come against Quillan Salkilld — the surging Australian prospect who’s set to compete on Saturday’s main card.
He’ll rely on his crisp boxing and sound fundamentals to steer his way into MMA’s flagship promotion.
Kim vs. Fan Pick, Best Bet
Despite facing an uphill battle in this veteran-versus-prospect matchup, Kim’s track record underscores a clear path to victory. The grappling expert owns three professional wins by rear-naked choke, including his semifinal submission over Ren. Meanwhile, both of Fan’s career losses to Salkilld came by — you guessed it — rear-naked choke.
Expect Kim to utilize his veteran experience, force the fight to the canvas, and finally secure that elusive UFC contract on Saturday night.
