Lui’s Pressure Edged Sulangrangbo in the Road to UFC
Lawrence Lui defeated Sulangrangbo by split decision in the Road to UFC season-four bantamweight final at UFC 325. Two judges favored Lui 29–28 and the third preferred Sulangrangbo by the same score in Sydney on February 1, 2026, local time.
An experienced City Kickboxing prospect met a younger finalist
Hong Kong-born Lui trained at City Kickboxing and had been competing professionally since 2021. He entered with four consecutive victories, including a second-round semifinal stoppage of Van Y Nghiem.
Twenty-year-old Sulangrangbo reached the final by beating Peter Danesoe and Sim Kai Xiong. Their contrasting experience levels created an intriguing three-round assignment at Qudos Bank Arena.
The opening momentum shifted during the middle round
Sulangrangbo began well and landed the heavier connections in the first. Lui adjusted by varying his attacks more effectively, finding greater success as the contest moved into the second.
The final round featured Lui advancing consistently and forcing his opponent to respond. Sulangrangbo still found clean punches, but his lower overall activity made sustaining control more difficult.
The divided verdict completed Lui’s tournament breakthrough
The judges disagreed on the winner, but two preferred Lui’s full performance. The split decision moved him to 8–1 and secured the bantamweight tournament championship.
The result also supplied City Kickboxing with an early victory on the Sydney card. Lui’s path into the UFC ended through adjustment and sustained pressure, overcoming the younger finalist’s strong start without requiring a late stoppage.
Sources
- UFC: official results and scores
- UFC: preliminary fight reports
- UFC: background and tournament victory
- UFC: semifinal routes and pre-final records
