Yi Zha Record: 25-5-0

Building toward the contract

Zha's first taste of the UFC stage did not go his way: in February 2023 he dropped a decision to Jeong Yeong Lee at a UFC Fight Night, a setback that sent him back to the Road to UFC tournament rather than out of the picture. He responded emphatically. In May 2023 he submitted veteran Wuziazibieke Jiahefu with a first-round armbar, then took a decision over Sang Won Kim, before closing the tournament in February 2024 with another first-round armbar of Kaiwen Li to capture his UFC contract. The win showcased exactly what makes him dangerous — patient grappling that turns into a sudden, fight-ending finish.

Inside the Octagon

His official UFC run has been a mixed but instructive start. In September 2024 he met unbeaten Brazilian prospect Gabriel Santos at a UFC Fight Night and came up short on the scorecards, falling to a decision against a high-volume striker. The loss exposed the kind of stylistic test a submission-first fighter faces against rangy, mobile strikers, but it did little to dim a profile built on finishing ability and a willingness to fight anyone the matchmakers put in front of him.

Fighting style

Zha is fundamentally a finisher, with 19 of his 25 wins coming inside the distance — 13 by submission and six by knockout. His calling card is a varied and opportunistic grappling attack: rear-naked chokes, triangles, guillotines and armbars all appear across his record, and he is comfortable hunting the finish from top position or off his back. That submission threat is paired with quick, aggressive striking that lets him initiate exchanges and chain offense together. His losses have largely come against opponents who can keep the fight at range and out-point him over three rounds, which marks decision-based volume strikers as the clearest stylistic puzzle for him to solve.

Career highlights

• Road to UFC champion — battled through multiple tournament stages, finishing Kaiwen Li with a first-round armbar in February 2024 to earn his UFC contract.
• 76% finish rate — 19 of 25 career wins by stoppage, including 13 submissions across a full toolbox of chokes and joint locks.
• Decade of regional dominance — built a 25-5 record across China's toughest domestic circuit before reaching the UFC.