SHANGHAI, CHINA - AUGUST 29: Bilal Hasan knocks out Nilson Rojas of Peru in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center on August 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) You only get one Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut! Eight rookies stepped into the Octagon this past weekend (Sat., Aug. 29, 2026) at UFC Shanghai inside SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center in Shanghai, China. Collectively, the newcomers went 5-3, delivering several filthy knockouts along the way. Now that the dust has settled, let’s grade their respective performances below: Liu Ce Decorated kickboxer and former K-1 champion Liu Ce was supposed to make his highly anticipated UFC debut against fellow kickboxer Junior Tafa, but instead drew Brazil’s Levi Rodrigues Jr. Ce opened with a calf kick followed by a quick left hook. The two then crashed into each other with combinations, with both fighters landing — although Rodrigues appeared to be connecting with the better shots. Rodrigues caught a kick and attempted to take Ce down, but the Chinese fighter defended. Moments later, Ce cracked Rodrigues with an overhand right that dropped him and left him wobbling around the cage. Rodrigues somehow survived, fired back and even cracked Ce with several clean shots. But just when it appeared he might recover, Ce landed the kill shot and put him to sleep (watch highlights). Boy, oh boy, was that a debut. Ce’s arrival is a much-needed shot in the arm for the Light Heavyweight division. He showed off his elite striking, ridiculous power and a solid chin after getting cracked himself. Opponents will undoubtedly try to take him down throughout his UFC career, but if they cannot get him there, he is going to hurt a lot of fighters. I think UFC should rebook him against Tafa. Final grade: A+ Bilal Hasan & Nilson Rojas Less than three weeks after receiving a UFC contract on Week 1 of Contender Series, top prospect Bilal Hasan got the call to make his Octagon debut against fellow undefeated newcomer Nilson Rojas of Peru. Hasan threw a ton of kicks to begin the fight, while Rojas responded with haymakers. Hasan cracked Rojas with a disgusting counter right, then landed a teep that forced the Peruvian to cover his body. Hasan eventually landed a trip takedown and began unloading heavy ground-and-pound before quickly taking Rojas’ back. Hasan allowed him to return to his feet and continued styling on him. The two clinched toward the end of the round and exchanged elbows. Rojas began pressuring Hasan in the second round but continued eating kicks. A push kick knocked Hasan off balance, and Rojas started finding more success with his hands. Then Hasan landed a straight right that instantly slept him (watch highlights). Nasty work. The hype behind Hasan is absolutely warranted. The 25-year-old is the complete package: he speaks well, has a fun personality and, more importantly, is incredibly good at fighting. He possesses legitimate star quality, even as a Flyweight. I honestly think Hasan is already a Top 10-caliber fighter, but I also hope UFC gives him time to develop properly. Hasan called out Andre Lima afterward, which would be an awesome fight, but I would rather see him face someone like Bruno Silva next. Final grade: A+ As for Rojas, he showed some promising flashes despite getting beaten up and brutally knocked out. He is incredibly tough, isn’t afraid to throw and gave Hasan some trouble before the finish. Rojas should be a fun addition to the Flyweight division. I’d be down to see him fight the loser of Alden Coria vs. Imanol Rodriguez. Final grade: D Namsrai Batbayar Namsrai Batbayar was sensational throughout Road to UFC, running through everyone placed in front of him. Unfortunately, he received a very difficult assignment for his official UFC debut in Andre Lima. Batbayar fired kicks early, but Lima quickly began answering with calf kicks before a low blow temporarily halted the action. Lima then stung Batbayar with two nasty body kicks. Batbayar landed a few solid combinations, but Lima’s constant pressure prevented him from unleashing the wild offense that made him so exciting throughout Road to UFC. Batbayar opened the second round with two body kicks followed by a wild combination, but Lima blocked most of it and continued marching forward. Batbayar became increasingly reckless and threw almost nothing but hooks. Lima eventually went body, body, head and nearly took Batbayar’s head off. The third round featured more of the same, with Lima walking Batbayar down while the Mongolian prospect threw haymakers. Lima eventually dropped him, forcing Batbayar to shoot a desperation takedown. Lima immediately snatched a guillotine and forced the tap (watch it). Facing Lima in his UFC debut was simply too much, too soon for Batbayar. I still believe Batbayar will have an entertaining and successful UFC career because he is going to knock out plenty of fighters. However, he desperately needs to mix straight punches into his offense and become less predictable. I want to see him fight Ode Osbourne next. Final grade: D+ Francesco Nuzzi On just 10 days’ notice, Francesco Nuzzi entered UFC following a no-contest in Cage Warriors and became only the third Italian fighter on the current roster. Xiao Long opened the fight with a flying knee that landed on Nuzzi’s chest. An eye poke from Nuzzi halted the action just 40 seconds into the bout. Shortly after the restart, Nuzzi cracked Long with a left hand and followed it with like 89 unanswered punches, forcing the referee to intervene at the one-minute mark. Francesco Nuzzi puts Xiao Long away in A MINUTE #UFCShanghai 😳 📺 @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/owwpP1FExF — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) August 29, 2026 Whew. Nuzzi certainly announced his arrival in violent fashion. He is incredibly quick, and once he senses blood, he pounces. The fight ended too quickly for Nuzzi to show much else, so there are still questions surrounding the rest of his game. Nevertheless, it was one hell of a UFC debut. Nuzzi vs. Hecher Sosa sounds fun next. Final grade: A+ Hector Santiago & Lawrence Lui Lawrence Lui had already competed inside the Octagon during the Road to UFC finale, but this marked his first appearance as an official UFC roster member. Meanwhile, Hector Santiago earned his opportunity after scoring a nasty knockout for Renato Moicano’s promotion. Santiago came out like a madman, attacking the body early. Lui eventually began finding him with jabs and calf kicks, but Santiago quickly adjusted and started timing the jab with perfect counters. Lui clinched and connected with a nice knee, but Santiago was all over him throughout the opening round. Lui became more aggressive in the second round and paid dearly for it. Santiago landed a monstrous right hand that knocked him down, then pounced with follow-up punches to flatline him. Santiago is a straight-up berserker and is going to be incredibly fun to watch. He is powerful, isn’t afraid to trade in the pocket and applies nonstop pressure. I cannot wait to see him fight again. Give me Santiago vs. Bernardo Sopaj next. Final grade: A+ Lui had his five-fight winning streak snapped in brutal fashion and never really got going. He looked impressive during Road to UFC, but Santiago simply ran him the hell over. I still believe Lui can have a decent UFC career because he is well-rounded, but this was a nightmare debut. I’d like to see him fight John Garza next. Final grade: F Cameron Nelson After spending his entire professional career competing for Fight League Atlantic (FLA), capped off by winning its Welterweight championship, Canada’s Cameron Nelson received the call to face China’s Meng Ding. Nelson nearly ate a counter left 30 seconds into the fight after opening with several low kicks and feints. Every time the Canadian crashed forward, Ding appeared ready to counter him. With 1:55 remaining in the opening round, Nelson landed a takedown and immediately began unloading heavy ground-and-pound from side control. Nelson spent most of the second round avoiding Ding’s kicks and attempting to rush inside with combinations. He eventually scored another takedown, landed in full guard and worked his way into half guard. Nelson focused primarily on control, although he occasionally mixed in heavy ground-and-pound. Ding briefly returned to his feet late in the round, but Nelson immediately dragged him back down and advanced to full mount. Ding entered the final round searching for a knockout, prompting Nelson to shoot almost immediately. Ding defended several attempts, but Nelson finally completed another takedown with approximately 45 seconds remaining. The final round was basically Nelson shooting takedowns the entire time. So, yeah, I’m not sure Nelson does anything particularly well beyond controlling opponents once he gets them to the ground. It was a pretty forgettable debut, but he earned the victory, and UFC now has another Canadian available for its Canadian fight cards. He can fight Saygid Izagakhmaev in his second outing. Final grade: C- Overall, UFC Shanghai’s rookie class delivered four finishes across eight debuts. Hasan, Ce, Nuzzi and Santiago immediately became fighters worth following, while the remaining newcomers either showed promise or discovered exactly how unforgiving the Octagon can be. For complete UFC Shanghai results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.