Quang Le faced Gaston Bolanos in a bantamweight bout on May 3, 2025, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.Le opened Round One by landing two clean strikes on Bolanos. Bolanos quickly responded with a grapple attempt, but Le slipped free. After escaping, Le pressured Bolanos against the fence and initiated a grapple of his own. Le gained the upper hand by taking Bolanos down to the mat, although Bolanos scrambled back to his feet. Undeterred, Le maintained control and brought Bolanos back to the mat with a forceful pivot of his body weight. Le demonstrated his wrestling skills by keeping Bolanos down, despite Bolanos’s attempts to escape. Every time Bolanos rolled to his knees, Le flipped him back onto his back. Although Bolanos briefly regained his footing, Le took him down once more. With under two minutes left in the round, Bolanos continued to struggle against Le’s relentless control. Le clearly dominated the first round, which left little doubt in the judges’ minds.
As Round Two began, Bolanos came out aggressive, eager to redeem himself. Le countered with a high kick that landed, though Bolanos deflected it and pushed Le back toward the fence. Both fighters exchanged strikes until Le broke through Bolanos’s guard and knocked him to the mat. Le then attempted another hold and, with a burst of strength, pinned Bolanos to the ground once again.Le ultimately secured victory by locking in a chokehold that nearly caused Bolanos to lose consciousness, prompting the referee to intervene. In his post-fight interview, Le expressed the emotional weight of the win, saying he had “pictured the win a thousand times.” He admitted he feared the outcome, adding, “I needed this win so bad.” Le went on to explain the sacrifices he made for this fight: “I gave everything. I sacrificed everything.” He also shared insight into his strategy—tiring his opponent and waiting patiently for the right moment to strike from behind. Le’s victory over Bolanos added another impressive chapter to his UFC story, especially considering he didn’t begin MMA training until he was 23. Social media lit up with praise for Le’s control and technical skill, with many highlighting his dominant performance. This win improved his record and solidified his status as a rising contender in the bantamweight division. As Le climbs the ranks, the UFC will serve as the proving ground for his continued ascent.
