India’s Chungreng Koren Advances At Road To UFC Season 5 With Gritty Submission Win
India’s Chungreng Koren kicked off the fifth season of Road to UFC in dramatic fashion, overcoming adversity both before and during the fight to score a statement finish against Japan’s Ryuho Miyaguchi.
Competing on short notice, “The Indian Rhino” entered the bantamweight tournament under difficult circumstances after missing weight by 3.5 pounds, tipping the scales at 139.5 pounds. Miyaguchi ultimately agreed to move forward with the matchup at a 140-pound catchweight, with Koren surrendering 30 percent of his purse as part of the agreement.
Despite the rocky lead-up, the former Matrix Fight Night champion delivered one of the most memorable performances of the opening round of the tournament.
The opening round was competitive, but Miyaguchi appeared to take control early in the second, landing several sharp straight right hands as he found his rhythm on the feet. But Koren responded in a huge way.
However, the second round soon became mostly one-way traffic as Chungreng Koren blasted Miyaguchi with a powerful left hand that dropped the Japanese fighter and completely shifted the momentum.
Koren swarmed with strikes on the ground before taking the back and securing a rear-naked choke. The official stoppage came at the 4:00 mark of Round 2.
The victory pushes Chungreng Koren’s record to 8-2 as a professional, with six wins now coming by finish.
