The Road to UFC tournament serves as an annual talent search for the promotion across Australasia. This competition focuses on men’s weight classes from 155 lbs and below, featuring an 8-man tournament for each division where the winner earns a UFC contract.
While most bouts are standalone events, some are paired with other UFC cards. For instance, earlier this season, UFC Shanghai showcased a mix of Road to UFC and regular UFC bouts.
At UFC 325 in Sydney, the preliminary card will kick off with championship fights for the four divisions represented in the tournament. Similar to my weekly previews for Contender Series events, I will preview these four matches, analyzing each fighter’s skills, potential in the UFC, and offering betting suggestions.
This segment of UFC 325 begins at 5:00 p.m. ET and lasts until approximately 7:00 p.m., after which the event will feature standard UFC fights.
Odds as of Wednesday and via DraftKings. Wager on the RUFC4 finale using our DraftKings promo code.
Road to UFC Season 4 Finale: Odds & Best Bets
Flyweight: Namsrai Batbayar (-125) vs. Aaron Tau (+105)
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 5:15 p.m. ET
The UFC 325 card opens with an exciting flyweight match, featuring two active fighters vying for a UFC contract.
Namsrai Batbayar from Mongolia hopes to continue the surge of Mongolian fighters in the UFC. With a record of 9-1, he hasn’t gone the distance in any fight, his only defeat being to a previous Road to UFC winner. He demonstrated his striking prowess in the tournament, achieving knockdowns in both of his previous matches.
Batbayar often starts with spinning strikes, reflecting his sometimes reckless but explosive style. He may risk exposure to counterattacks from opponents like Tau, who can capitalize on openings.
Bantamweight: Sulangrangbo (-258) vs. Lawrence Lui (+210)
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 5:45 p.m. ET
Next in line is another City Kickboxing prospect, Lawrence Lui, who boasts a 7-1 record. Lui’s powerful striking, combined with a reach advantage, allows him to maintain distance against various opponents.
Sulangrangbo, a striker with quick hands and a record of 10-3, faces a significant challenge against Lui, particularly due to Lui’s strategic fighting style and elite training background.
Featherweight: Sebastian Szalay (-142) vs. Keiichiro Nakamura (+120)
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 6:15 p.m. ET
This match poses a challenge in assessing Szalay’s capabilities as he won his last bout within a minute. A former Karate champion, he showcases active striking but has shown a lack of offensive grappling skills that could be a weakness against Nakamura.
Nakamura, while also having a Karate background, is a more offensive striker, making strikes with a four-inch reach advantage that could be crucial in this contest.
Lightweight: Dom Mar Fan (-148) vs. Sang Uk Kim (+124)
Fighter walkouts: Approx. 6:45 p.m. ET
Dom Mar Fan, known for his grappling-heavy approach, poses a dilemma for opponents relying on striking. With an 8-2 record, he effectively uses his length to control opponents and would likely challenge Kim on the ground, making for an interesting matchup.
Kim has demonstrated his grappling skill as well but tends to absorb many significant strikes, which could be a disadvantage against a versatile grappler like Fan.
