Bilal Hassan defeated Nilson Rojas at UFC Shanghai and immediately called out Andre Lima. Hassan acknowledged the fight was tougher than anticipated, noting both men entered with identical 9-0 records. Lima, who missed weight for the second time in his UFC career ahead of the bout, had previously spoken about moving to bantamweight but competed at 57 kg once again.
Bilal Hassan picked up a hard-earned victory over Nilson Rojas at UFC Shanghai and wasted no time making his next ambition clear, calling out Andre Lima in the immediate aftermath of the win.
Hassan was open about the difficulty of the bout, acknowledging that neither man had anything separating them on paper heading into the fight. Both he and Rojas carried identical 9-0 records into the Shanghai cage, making the matchup one of the more evenly matched prospect clashes on the card.
Rojas, nicknamed "El Rayo," represented Peru and trained out of Pitbull Martial Arts Center. The 27-year-old stood five-foot-five and came in undefeated, making his perfect record one of the more closely watched in the division before Saturday's result.
Lima, the Brazilian prospect Hassan is targeting, enters the picture with a 11-1-0 record and his own set of compelling credentials. The 27-year-old, who fights out of Team Lucas Mineiro under the nickname "Mascote," stands five-foot-seven with a 67-inch reach and carries a striking accuracy of 56 percent along with 3.94 significant strikes landed per minute. He also adds a takedown threat, averaging 1.11 takedowns per 15 minutes, and actively looks for submissions at a rate of 0.9 attempts per 15 minutes.
Lima's weight management has been a recurring storyline. He has now missed weight twice in his UFC career and had previously spoken publicly about a potential move to bantamweight, yet he competed at 57 kilograms once again ahead of the Shanghai event.
Why it matters
- Hassan's callout targets one of the more well-rounded prospects at 57 kg, with Lima posting strong numbers in striking, wrestling, and submissions
- Lima's repeated weight-miss issues add an extra layer of uncertainty to any potential booking
- A matchup between two fighters with near-identical undefeated or near-undefeated profiles would carry significant divisional stakes at flyweight
