Kiwifruit is very popular for its unique flavor and nutritional value, and for its potential health benefits, which are closely related to its richness in a variety of natural antioxidant substances, in which polyphenolics play a non-negligible role. This study investigated changes in the fruit quality, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant potential of Chinese red-fleshed kiwifruit “Hongshi No. 2” during postharvest ripening at room temperature (20 ± 1 °C). Results showed that the weight loss rate slowly increased, the firmness rapidly decreased, and the soluble solid concentration gradually increased during the postharvest ripening of red-flesh kiwifruit. In addition, the total phenolic (TPC), total flavonoid (TFC), and total proanthocyanidin (TPAC) contents gradually increased during postharvest ripening. The most abundant phenolic compounds in kiwifruit throughout postharvest ripening were catechin (CC), proanthocyanidin B1 (PB1), and proanthocyanidin B2 (PB2). Furthermore, the methanolic extracts of red-flesh kiwifruit exhibited remarkable antioxidant activities throughout postharvest ripening stages. Indeed, some phenolic compounds showed good correlations with antioxidant activities; for instance, chlorogenic acid (CHL) showed a significantly positive correlation with ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and isoquercitrin (IS) showed a significantly negative correlation with DPPH free radical scavenging ability. The findings from this study are beneficial to better understanding the quality profile of red-flesh kiwifruit “Hongshi No. 2” during postharvest ripening.

• Calcium lactate and shortwave ultraviolet combined treatment (abbr. CA-L + UV-C) has a synergistic effect on fresh-cut kiwifruits preservation. • CA-L + UV-C reduced microbial growth. • CA-L + UV-C increased phenolics accumulation by activating related enzyme activities. • CA-L + UV-C improved antioxidant capacity by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity and promoting phenolics accumulation. • CA-L + UV-C maintained quality by improving antioxidant capacity.