Hyun Sung Park vs. Shannon Ross Added to UFC Shanghai on Dec. 9

HyunSungPark will fight ShannonRoss at #UFCShanghai on December 9th. (first rep. @mmaecosystem) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2023 pic.twitter.com/JwWyChJfHN

— Marcel Dorff 🇳🇱🇮🇩 (@BigMarcel24) October 17, 2023

A matchup of flyweights with starkly contrasting momentum has been added to the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s upcoming return to China.

Undefeated South Korean prospect Hyun Sung Park (8-0) will take on Australia’s Shannon Ross (12-8) in the 125-pound weight class on Dec. 9 in Shanghai. The matchup was first reported Tuesday by MMA Ecosystem followed by Marcel Dorff of Eurosport. Park was crowned the flyweight winner of last year’s “Road to UFC,” the promotion’s venture for scouting Asian talent. “Peace of Mind” has not had a fight go the distance since his professional debut in 2018, where he earned a unanimous decision win over Min Soo Kwon. The 27-year-old defeated Seung Guk Choi via third-round submission in the “Road to UFC” season finale back in February.

While Park is rapidly becoming one of the UFC flyweight division’s brightest prospects, Ross is still struggling to show he belongs in the promotion. “The Turkish Delight” got the call from the Las Vegas-based promotion earlier this year despite suffering a knockout loss against Vinicius Salvador in an appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. Ross’ promotional journey thus far has consisted of two more knockout losses against Kleydson Rodrigues in February and Jesus Santos Aguilar in July. A win against Park might be imperative for the 34-year-old to ensure he retains his spot on the roster.

The UFC's as-yet unnamed Fight Night in Shanghai is set to take place on Dec. 9 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai and will mark the promotion’s return to China after four years. While the lineup of fights is still largely undecided, the highest profile matchup to be confirmed thus far is a bout between middleweight contenders Andre Muniz and Jun Yong Park.