Vietnamese fighter defeats Japanese opponent in UFC qualifier with fake punch

By Hieu Luong May 24, 2025 | 05:00 am PT

A screenshot of Nghiem Van Y (L) during the fight with Rui Imura in the featherweight quarterfinal of the Road to UFC in Shanghai, China on May 23, 2025.

Vietnamese fighter Nghiem Van Y defeated Japanese opponent Rui Imura by technical knockout in the featherweight quarterfinal (61–66 kg) at the Road to UFC tournament, Asia's top MMA competition held in Shanghai, China.

Despite being the underdog, Y, 25, delivered a standout performance on Friday night. He entered the match with a professional record of 5 wins and 1 loss, compared to Imura’s 12 wins and 4 losses in 16 fights. The Japanese fighter, also 25, was widely regarded for his grappling skills, having secured eight wins via submission.

The fight, consisting of three five-minute rounds, saw Y neutralize all of Imura’s takedown attempts in the first round with composed defense and positioning, showing his perfect preparation.

In the second round, when nearly four minutes passed by, Y found his moment. As he retreated near the cage, he threw a fake punch that prompted Imura to drop his guard, leaving him exposed. Y then landed a powerful right hand punch to Imura’s face, sending the Japanese fighter crashing to the canvas. With Imura on his knees, Y unleashed a combo of elbows and right fists to his head.

After the 25th strike without any reponse from Imura, referee Thomas Fan stepped in to stop the match, awarding Y a technical knockout victory. The Vietnamese fighter roared in celebration, arms raised high, marking his debut win on the Road to UFC stage.

The Road to UFC is the premier UFC talent-scouting tournament in Asia, offering top fighters a chance to earn an official UFC contract. The 2025 season, the fourth edition of the event, features competitions across four weight classes: flyweight (under 57 kg), bantamweight (57–61 kg), featherweight (61–66 kg) and lightweight (66–70 kg).

In the semifinals scheduled for August, Y will face New Zealand’s Lawrence Lui.

Y is one of Vietnam’s most promising MMA fighter. Raised in a family of farmers in the northern Bac Giang Province, he began his career in wushu and earned a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.

He transitioned to amateur MMA in June 2022 and turned professional just three months later at the Lion Championship, Vietnam’s premier MMA tournament. After a string of victories, he claimed the Lion Championship 65kg title in November 2022. Though he lost the belt to Brazilian Felipe Negochadle via submission in 2023, he reclaimed it a year later by technical knockout and has successfully defended it since.

Y became the first Vietnamese-trained fighter to compete in the Road to UFC.