Chinese prospect Xie Bin closed out the show last night (Fri., Aug. 23, 2024) at “Road to UFC” (Season 3) from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when the stopped Masuto Kawana in the main event with a monstrous first-round knockout (punches).
Fight fans had to nearly pull an all-nighter to stay up late enough to see the conclusion of this event, but “Road to UFC” has produced some solid talent in the past so a few less hours of sleep didn’t hurt that much. Last night’s show was also the semi-final round so the intensity was even higher.
While the card was entertaining from start to finish, the main event was the biggest takeaway by far. Xie had lost his “Road to UFC” quarterfinals matchup back in 2022 so he was out for a little bit of redemption. Kawana, on the other hand, was looking to build on a four-fight win streak and punch his ticket to Season 3’s finale.
Unfortunately for Kawana, he simply couldn’t withstand the power of Xie. With just under one minute left in the first round, Xie landed a beautifully-timed counter right hand as he was moving backwards and toppled Kawana to the canvas. Xie quickly moved in and as Kawana was getting back to his feet “The Stalker” landed one final right that ended the matchup instantly.
Check out the video highlights in the above player
Bin, 26, is now riding a five-fight win streak and will have his chance to win the Season 3 final his next time out. This was an incredible way to redeem himself from his “Road to UFC” shortcomings just two years ago and easily his biggest career finish to date.
For complete “Road to UFC” semi-final results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.