Given the opportunity to prove he belongs in the UFC, Lawrence Lui didn’t waste it.
The 29-year-old Kiwi is the newest bantamweight to join the world’s top mixed martial arts promotion, winning the Road To UFC season-four final in Sydney on Sunday.
Lui claimed a split-decision win over 20-year-old Chinese athlete Sulangrangbo, two of the judges scoring the bout 29-28 – two rounds to one – in his favour, while the third had Sulangrangbo winning by the same score.
It caps off a remarkable journey for Lui.
Ahead of the Road To UFC season – a tournament where the best prospects from the Asia-Pacific region compete for a UFC contract – Lui was only listed as an alternate for the bantamweight bracket (135lbs or 61.2kg).
But when another fighter withdrew from the tournament prior to the first round and Lui got the call-up, the Kiwi was ready to go.
He becomes the first New Zealander to join the UFC’s men’s bantamweight roster, and the latest in a growing list of Kiwis to get the opportunity to ply their trade on the biggest stage in the sport.
Speaking on UFC Fight Pass to former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier, who won the Strikeforce heavyweight grand prix in 2011 as an alternate, Lui revelled in his win.
“It feels incredible,” Lui said.
The City Kickboxing-trained bantamweight came with a style that has served him well in the tournament.
Lui led the dance with his pressure, keeping Sulangrangbo on the back foot for much of the contest. While much of the striking exchanges came with the hands, Lui mixed in his wrestle well and it was clear he had the advantage in that area of the sport.
Sulangrangbo, the faster of the two, had some good moments throughout the fight, mostly in the first round, when he looked to have Lui hurt as he put combinations together. Lui stayed composed in those moments and fired back to give Sulangrangbo plenty to think about, but the Chinese fighter took the first round.
Cardio has been a good weapon for Lui throughout the tournament, and he again seemed to be the fresher fighter as the bout went on. He continued to press forward behind a high guard through the second and third rounds, being the more active of the two with his striking and had success wrestling.
Ultimately, it was a deserved win for the 29-year-old, who can now set his sights on making a mark in the division later this year.
“I knew he was a quick, fast, young athlete. I saw him win the quarter-final and I knew I would meet him in the final. The coaches brought a great game plan and I followed it to a tee.”
Perhaps the third time will be the charm for Kiwi UFC hopeful Aaron Tau.
Tau was scheduled to compete in the Road To UFC flyweight final in Sydney on Sunday, however his bout was cancelled after he weighed in above the 126lbs (57.1kg) limit for the class.
However, speaking on the UFC Fight Pass coverage of the Road To UFC finals, UFC commentator John Gooden said Tau’s fight against Mongolian Namsrai Batbayar had not been completely scrapped but would instead be moved to a card later in the year.
“UFC 325 has lost our flyweight final due to Aaron Tau missing weight. That fight will take place later this year,” Gooden said.
There was some controversy around the weigh-in. Tau initially weighed in behind the curtain – a privacy device brought out to allow a fighter to be naked as they stand on the scale - however, an initial reading came in surprisingly light at 122.5lbs (55.5kg).
The Kiwi fighter was then asked to step on the scales again without the privacy screen, and showed a much higher reading.
Tau had previously lost in his fight for a bantamweight contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024 and, at the time, it seemed as though the weight miss was set to rob him of his opportunity in the lower weight class.
Tau apologised for the weight miss on Saturday in a statement on Instagram.
“I need to apologise to my opponent, the UFC, my team, and my fans,” he said.
“Though I pushed to the end, I have one job, to make weight and fight. I didn’t do that. I’m sorry.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.