Vietnamese fighter wins resounding victory over Japanese opponent, moves closer to UFC

(Dan Tri) - Despite being underestimated, Vietnamese boxer Nghiem Van Y successfully knocked out Rui Imura to enter the Road to UFC semi-finals (UFC qualifying round).

Last night (May 23), Nghiem Van Y had an important victory in his first time entering the UFC arena. The LION Championship champion is the only representative of Vietnam to be allowed to participate in the Road to UFC (UFC qualifying round) taking place in Shanghai (China). He is determined to officially participate in the biggest MMA tournament on the planet.

Van Y's decisive punch before knocking out his opponent.

In the first match, Van Y faced Japanese boxer, Rui Imura in the bantamweight class (60.75kg). This was a match where the opponent was rated higher than the Vietnamese boxer.

Rui Imura is 1.78m tall. That made it difficult for Van Y to approach the match. In the first round, the Japanese boxer actively approached and stuck with Nghiem Van Y to gain an advantage. However, the Vietnamese boxer maintained a good distance.

In the second round, Van Y changed his tactics. He actively attacked his opponent and escaped the angle. The 1999-born boxer continuously kicked the pillar to prevent his opponent from approaching.

Van Y celebrates victory in his first time stepping into the UFC arena (Screenshot).

Van Y landed a precise right punch that knocked Rui Imura down. After that, the Vietnamese boxer launched a series of consecutive punches at his opponent. Finally, the referee intervened to stop the match and awarded Van Y the win by knockout.

The Vietnamese fighter celebrated wildly after winning his first UFC match. In the semi-finals, Van Y will face the winner of the match between Zhang Qinghe (China) and Lawrence Lui (New Zealand). The Road to UFC semi-finals will take place in August.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/thang-vang-doi-doi-thu-nhat-ban-vo-si-viet-nam-tien-gan-toi-ufc-20250524073222482.htm