By Thanh Hà

Nghiêm Văn Ý delivered a heavy punch and his rival collapsed. Ý immediately grounded and pounded him until the referee stopped the fight and announced a knock-out victory.

He advanced to the next round and stronger rivals will await him, but what he did was a massive gift to celebrate his 26th birthday, and also for national history.

He is the first Vietnamese who was born, raised, and trained entirely in the country to take a win in the Road to UFC event. The event is a tournament that takes top mixed martial arts (MMA) prospects from Asia and gives them a pathway to a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the world's leading MMA organisation.

After celebrating his win with his team and supporters, Ý posted on his Facebook account: “Never underestimate me and the Vietnamese people.”

Ý practised wushu's sanshou since he was a secondary school student in Bắc Giang Province. His passion and talent in martial arts turned him into a fighter of potential, who earned many domestic and international medals. Among them was a bronze in the 19th Asian Games in 2018 when he was 19.

"My teammates and I trained really hard for months for that event," Ý recalled.

"I was determined to compete for the highest result in Indonesia, but the climate was a big challenge for the Vietnamese competitors. After wins in qualification, I qualified for the semis. I was very sorry to have to stop and receive a bronze due to injury."

He unfortunately had to leave the team not long after that because of a health problem, but his love for martial art didn't die. He rested for a short time to recover and switched to train in the professional MMA.

Ý is known for his versatile fighting style, combining wushu striking techniques with MMA grappling skills. He often delivers fast and precise strikes, along with ground control ability.

He won the 65kg category belt in the LION Championships, the largest national MMA series, in 2022. A year later, he lost it to Brazilian Felipe Negochadle via arm lock.

Spending months to sharpen his technique through a UFC Performance Institute's training camp, Ý was quickly back to the mat stronger and better. He met almost no challenge to knock out Negochadle in the first round of a rematch, and took his belt back last December.

"During the training session at the Performance Institute, coaches were impressed with my ability and offered me to join Road to UFC. I was excited and agreed immediately," Ý said.

He was the sole Vietnamese fighter picked to compete in the Road to UFC's Asia-Pacific zone qualification's bantamweight (60-75kg) category in late May in China.

In his category, Ý would have to win three fights to earn a prestigious UFC contract.

The first one, against Japanese Rui Imura, was considered tough as he was of a higher level, with a professional record of 12 wins and four losses. Ý at the time boasted five wins and one loss.

“I was quite comfortable and looked forward to the fight for a long time. My opponent competed at a higher level than me and had good grappling skills. Imura's wins all came from chokeholds and arm locks," Ý said.

"I had two months to improve my physical strength and tactics for the fight,” said Ý, who struggled in the first round before knocking out his opponent in the second.

This victory not only helped Ý reach the semi-finals but also marked a significant change for Vietnamese MMA on the international map.

Ý will now face Lawrence Lui of New Zealand on August 23, also in Shanghai.

Lui is the No 380 fighter in the Asia Pacific region with a record of six wins and one loss, just behind Ý at No 358. To advance to the semis, Lui defeated Qinghe Zhang of China in a unanimous decision.

“For me, every fight is a big fight. Of course, with the scale of Road to UFC, everything must be carefully prepared," said Ý.

"I try to keep my mind relaxed and ready to fight. I believe that a strike at the right time will make a difference. More importantly, I believe in myself with serious training and the unconditional support of family and friends."

"I will try hard to have a good performance in the upcoming Road to UFC match," said Ý, who is only two wins away from his dream deal. VNS

Nghiêm Văn Ý (right) is announced winner of the Road to UFC event's 65kg category in May in China. Photos from VMMAF

Nghiêm Văn Ý (right) and Felipe Negochadle in a LION Championship 65kg title fight.

Nghiêm Văn Ý (left) seen fighting against Rui Imura in the Road to UFC event.

Nghiêm Văn Ý and his LION Championship belt.