Seven Korean fighters, including “Korean Superboy” Doo-Ho Choi (31, 14-4), will be mobilizing in the UFC Octagon this week.
Korean fighters will compete in the UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Spivak event at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on the 5th (Korean time). Jeong Da-un (29, 15 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses) and Choi Doo-ho fight on the main card, while Kim Ji-yeon (33, 9 wins, 2 draws, 6 losses) and Park Jun-yong (31, 15 wins, 5 losses) fight on the under card.
In addition, the ROAD TO UFC final featuring Lee Jung-young (27, 9-1), Park Hyeon-seong (27, 7-0), and Choi Seung-guk (26, 6-1) will be held at Undercard. The winner will sign a formal contract with the UFC.
It is the comeback that has been eagerly awaited. Choi Doo-ho, the first Korean to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame, had a long hiatus of 3 years and 2 months. This is because he was restricted from going abroad due to waiting for a call for social service personnel. Now, he has resolved his military service issues and returned to the long-awaited Octagon.
This time with ‘Korean Zombie’ Chan-sung Jeong. Jeong Chan-sung, who is considered the best fighter in Korean mixed martial arts (MMA) history, took the lead in Choi Doo-ho’s training camp as a coach. The meeting between the two best featherweight fighters in Korea thrilled fans. 안전놀이터
Intermediate results are very satisfactory. Choi Doo-ho is currently boasting the best physical condition ever. Jeong Chan-seong improved endurance, which had been pointed out as Choi Doo-ho’s weakness. At an online press conference held in Korea on the 1st, Choi Doo-ho said, “I am in very good condition right now. (Jung) Chansung learned from his older brother how to adjust his condition, how to maintain his stamina for a long time during training, and how to fight while maintaining power for a long time.”
Now all that remains is to prove it in practice. The opponent is Kyle Nelson (31, Canada) with a record of 1 win and 4 losses in the UFC. He is an infighter who advances by throwing heavy punches based on his large size.
Dooho Choi, the head of the counter, is aiming for a KO. Dooho Choi’s 3 UFC wins were all by KO. Straight counters against opponents who rush in like Nelson are excellent.
But I won’t be in a hurry. Choi Doo-ho said, “I think a 1st round KO can come out,” but he said, “I try not to think of a 1st round KO. He predicted the match, thinking that he will fight until the third round, and if he fights, a KO will come out in it.
In the co-main event, Jeong Da-un clashes with Devin Clark (32, USA). Clark is a veteran of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NJCAA) amateur wrestling champion with a record of 7 wins and 7 losses in the UFC.
Jung Da-un, who was aiming to enter the UFC light heavyweight rankings for the first time in Asia, slowed down when he suffered his first ever KO loss to Dustin Jacoby in July of last year. He reflected, “Looking back, I was arrogant,” and “I forgot the most basic things like guards and street fights. I was too reckless to break the distance and tried to enter, but I got the finish,” he analyzed the past defeat.
So this time, he prepared a long-term physical strength match. Daun Jeong predicted a muddy fight using wrestling and clinch pressure, saying, “I will make Clark feel what it feels like to be out of breath.”
Also on the undercard, middleweight Jun-yong Park will face off against Dennis Tulyulin (Russia, 34), and female flyweight Kim Ji-yeon will compete against Mandi Böhm (33, Germany).
Meanwhile, in the main event, heavyweight No. 7 Derek Lewis (37, USA) and No. 12 Sergei Spivak (28, Moldova) face off. The two players were scheduled to face each other on November 20 last year, but the match was canceled due to Lewis’ infection with Corona 19. Lewis recovered his health, and this time he was able to decide the outcome.
On this day, the long-awaited ROAD TO UFC final will also be held at Undercard.
ROAD TO UFC is a quarter-final tournament in which Asia’s top MMA prospects participate, and the winner signs a contract with the UFC. It started with a total of 32 fighters in four weight classes, flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight, and now only eight players remain to compete in the finals.
In the ROAD TO UFC finals, South Korea will be represented by three fighters: Seung-guk Choi and Hyeon-seong Park in the flyweight division, and Jung-yeong Lee in the featherweight division.
Former Road FC featherweight champion Lee Jung-young will face Lee Ji (26, China) in the featherweight final.
In the flyweight division, a Korean vs. Korean match is drawing attention. Choi Seung-guk, a disciple of Jung Chan-sung, and former Double G FC flyweight champion Park Hyeon-seong will compete on a single bridge over a UFC contract.
