UFC Shanghai rumored to add flyweight clash between Kevin Borjas and Rei Tsuruya

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is reportedly planning to bolster its Aug. 29 UFC Shanghai event at Shanghai Indoor Stadium with a new flyweight matchup. According to multiple reports cited by Yahoo Sports, Kevin Borjas is set to fight Rei Tsuruya in a bout that would add a fresh competitive test to the card, though the UFC has not formally confirmed the pairing.

Borjas, a flyweight who has competed in the UFC since earning his way onto the roster, enters the reported booking with an MMA record of 11-5 and a UFC mark of 2-4, per Yahoo Sports. The same reporting notes Borjas has struggled to find consistent results in his UFC run, setting up a matchup that functions as more than a routine flyweight addition. For a fighter trying to establish long-term footing, an opponent like Tsuruya offers both a style challenge and a chance to move the needle with a win.

Tsuruya, listed by the outlets as 11-1 in MMA and 2-1 in the UFC, represents the type of ascending prospect the division often needs on short notice. ’s report frames Tsuruya’s UFC progress as steady, including a rebound after a prior loss, and places him on a trajectory that makes a fight against Borjas a meaningful step. If the bout is finalized, the UFC will be able to test whether Tsuruya’s early UFC success transfers against someone with a deeper UFC sample.

The event itself carries extra attention because it is UFC’s return to China after a long absence. reported that the UFC Shanghai card is set to be headlined by Umar Nurmagomedov against China’s Yadong Song, giving the night an added regional storyline. In that context, a flyweight addition can shape how the card plays, since flyweight matchups often determine momentum and viewer engagement across multiple rounds and paces.

Still, this is not an official release, and details can change before fight week. explicitly notes the UFC had not confirmed the flyweight addition at the time of its report. In practical terms, fans should treat the Borjas-Tsuruya pairing as “reported” until the promotion publishes confirmation, while monitoring for updates to the bout order and event lineup.

If the fight is booked, both fighters will be aiming at different forms of validation. Borjas will be trying to halt what has been a rocky stretch in the UFC and convert experience into a clean performance that could alter how the promotion evaluates him in the flyweight mix. Tsuruya, meanwhile, will be looking to prove he can handle a veteran UFC opponent and avoid the common trap for newer entrants, which is looking impressive against limited or mismatched opposition.

The key question for the next update is whether UFC Shanghai locks in the booking and, if so, what it indicates about flyweight depth in the promotion’s travel-heavy calendar. As the Aug. 29 date approaches, expect additional announcements clarifying the final matchups, and watch for how the Borjas-Tsuruya fight fits stylistically around Nurmagomedov and Song, since undercard pacing can affect how quickly a card turns from spectacle to title-relevant stakes.