Liu Se knocked out Levi Rodriguez in the final minute of the first round at UFC Shanghai. The 29-year-old Se improves to 4-1 with the finish, marking a winning UFC debut. Rodriguez falls to 5-2-1 NC, having now been stopped by knockout in both of his UFC bouts.
Liu Se announced himself on the UFC stage in emphatic fashion, stopping Levi Rodriguez by knockout in the closing seconds of the first round at UFC Shanghai on August 29, 2026.
Se, who is 29 years old, needed less than five minutes to make his promotional debut a memorable one. The finish lifted his professional record to 4-1, with the knockout of Rodriguez serving as a statement win on home soil in front of a Chinese crowd.
Rodriguez, meanwhile, finds himself in difficult territory after the loss. The defeat drops him to 5-2-1 NC, and it marks the second time he has been stopped by knockout inside the UFC octagon. Back-to-back finishes by the same method raise serious questions about his path forward at this level of competition.
Why it matters
- Liu Se's winning debut gives the UFC a marketable local product with finishing ability heading into what figures to be a growing Chinese market.
- Rodriguez has now been knocked out in both of his UFC appearances, a troubling pattern that may prompt the promotion to reassess his placement on the roster.
- A first-round finish keeps Se's name in contention for a quick follow-up booking, as the UFC typically looks to build momentum for debuting fighters who impress.
