Road to UFC Semis: Meng Bo, Maheshate Win in Shanghai
Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals: Meng Bo and Maheshate both win in Shanghai as the tournament nears its finals.
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The Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals played out Friday in Shanghai, with eight fights across four weight classes deciding who advances toward a UFC contract, and ONE Championship veteran Meng Bo headlined the undercard names by picking up a win in the women's strawweight bracket.
Meng Bo, who has more than thirty professional fights on her resume, remains best known in MMA circles for handing Zhang Weili the only loss of her career, a result that came in both fighters' pro debuts back in 2013 before Zhang went on to become UFC strawweight champion. Friday's semifinal win keeps Meng Bo alive in the Road to UFC bracket as she looks to add a UFC contract to her long resume.
The card's biggest name on paper fought outside the tournament bracket entirely. Maheshate, a 2021 Dana White's Contender Series winner who went 2-4 in his first UFC run, including a victory over fan favorite Steve Garcia, returned to the promotion's radar with a non-tournament headliner against Darrius Flowers. Maheshate came in off a regional-circuit win, while Flowers arrived fresh off a victory over Lando Vannata.
What Is the Road to UFC Tournament?
Road to UFC is the promotion's Asia-focused developmental tournament, built to fast-track regional standouts into the UFC through a bracket format rather than a single showcase fight. Season 5's semifinal round covered four divisions, women's strawweight, bantamweight, featherweight and flyweight, with winners moving on toward the tournament finals and a UFC deal on the line. Friday's card also included semifinal bouts such as Kasib Murdoch vs. Rabindra Dhant at bantamweight, George Mangos vs. Ahejiang Ailinuer at featherweight, and Takaya Suzuki vs. Joseph Larcinese at flyweight.
Betting Angle
Meng Bo's win is the storyline books and bettors will watch closest, since a UFC contract would put her name in the same division conversation as Zhang Weili, and the "only woman to beat Zhang" tag alone should make any future strawweight booking a needle-mover at the sportsbooks. For Maheshate, a clean win over Darrius Flowers on a UFC-adjacent card is the kind of result that can nudge oddsmakers and matchmakers toward giving him another crack at the UFC roster after his uneven first stint. Until either fighter is officially rebooked inside the UFC, though, there's no standing line to point to, just a clearer form line for whenever that fight gets made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Meng Bo and why is she notable?
Meng Bo is a veteran ONE Championship fighter best known for handing Zhang Weili the only loss of her career in both fighters' 2013 pro debuts, before Zhang went on to become UFC strawweight champion. Meng Bo won her Road to UFC Season 5 semifinal bout on August 28 in Shanghai.
What happened between Maheshate and Darrius Flowers?
Maheshate faced Darrius Flowers in a non-tournament headliner at the Road to UFC Season 5 semifinals on August 28 in Shanghai, with Maheshate coming off a regional win and Flowers coming off a victory over Lando Vannata.
What is the Road to UFC tournament?
Road to UFC is a developmental tournament series that gives regional fighters, mostly from Asia, a bracket-style path to a UFC contract, with Season 5's semifinals held August 28 in Shanghai across four weight classes.
