Chungreng Koren falls to Ryo Tajima in the semifinals of the Road to UFC

NEW DELHI: Chungreng Koren’s Road to UFC Season 5 campaign came to an end on Friday as the Indian fighter suffered a unanimous decision loss to Japan’s Ryo Tajima in their bantamweight semi-final in Shanghai.Koren, who entered the semi-finals after upending unbeaten Ryu Miyaguchi of Japan in the quarter-finals, was unable to turn his control of the anchorage into an effective enough attack during the 15-minute match.The Indian started off aggressively, using leg kicks before taking the fight towards the cage. Koren eventually secured a takedown and looked to gain control.However, Tajima quickly worked his way back to his feet and briefly managed to take Koren by the back.In the second round, even as Koren repeatedly tried to put Tajima against the cage, the Japanese continued to find scoring opportunities with short punches. He also connected with a right hand during the round.Koren continued to push in the third round, taking down Tajima again. He spent long stretches controlling the Japanese fighter on the mat and finished the contest with more than eight minutes of control time.However, Tajima continued to work whenever he could find a place. He landed short punches and knees during the exchanges, and those moments ultimately proved important when the fight went to the referees.The scores were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28, all in favor of Tajima.The defeat ends Koren’s run in the tournament and leaves him short of the Road to UFC Finals, where a tournament win would land him a UFC contract.The loss also marks the end of what has been a significant second chance for the Manipuri fighter.Koren entered the opening round of the tournament in May shortly after being initially named as a backup. He was struggling to reach the bantamweight limit before facing Miyaguchi in Macau, but made an impressive comeback in the cage, dropping his opponent with a left hand before securing a rear naked choke in the second round.Before the semifinals, Koren talked about how different his preparation was this time. He spent three months at home, returning to training after a short break and also working in Phuket with UFC fighters and other high-level training partners.The 27-year-old also opened up about the tough period that followed his loss to Rabindra Dhant at 2025. That defeat forced him to struggle with discipline and fitness, forcing him to rebuild his routine before he gets his next opportunity on the UFC road.This time he gained weight and entered the fight with a full camp behind him.However, Tajima proved difficult to break.For Koren, the result means another UFC opportunity has slipped away. Still, his Road to UFC was a significant step forward after his first opportunity to enter the tournament fell through.

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