Three Korean fighters will participate in Las Vegas, the “Holy Land of UFC,” at the same time.
“Korean Superboy” Choi Doo-ho, “Sting” Choi Seung-woo, and “Korean Tiger” Lee Jung-young are scheduled to participate in the UFC on ESPN 60 competition at UFC APEX in Las Vegas on the 21st (Korea time). However, “Iron Tuttle” Park Joon-yong, who was scheduled to participate in the comedy event, will participate in only three players in this competition as his match against Brad Tavares was canceled due to Park’s “medical problem” after completing the race.
Seven Korean fighters, including Kim Dong-hyun, Choi Doo-ho, Yang Dong-i, Nam Ui-cheol, Bang Tae-hyun, Ham Seo-hee, and Ma Dong-hyun, participated in the 2015 UFC Seoul competition. In December 2019, seven Korean fighters, including “Korean Zombie” Jung Chan-sung, Choi Doo-ho, Jung Da-woon, Park Joon-yong, Kang Kyung-ho, Choi Seung-woo, and Ma Dong-hyun, participated in the Busan competition. However, it is not often that three Korean fighters compete at the same time in a place other than Korea, especially in Las Vegas, which is also called the “Holy Land of UFC.”
Last victory in 2016, Choi Doo-ho in desperate need of victory
Although his status has gone down a lot now, until 2016, Choi Doo-ho was considered a “triple man to lead the future of featherweight” by UFC representative Dana White along with Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega. In particular, the huge slugfest against Cup Swanson, held in December 2016, was called the best three-round match ever, and was actually inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame “FIGHT WING” in April 2022.
However, since the game against Cup Swanson, Choi’s status has significantly declined. In January 2018, his first major event, he suffered his first KO loss in his career after collapsing due to a KO in the second round against Jeremy Stevens. In December 2019, he lost to Charles Jourdin in the second round by a KO in the Busan competition, falling into the quagmire of three consecutive losses. Although he still showed outstanding batting ability, he failed to make up for his weaknesses in defense and falconry, which had been pointed out since the game against Cup Swanson, and is now in the worst crisis.
Having failed to reach the Octagon for more than three years after losing three consecutive games, Choi returned to the game against Kyle Nelson in February last year. Unlike in the past when Choi was aiming for the finish, he steadily accumulated points to lead the game to his advantage, and he seemed to be leading the game to lose consecutive games. However, Choi had a head clash with Nelson in the third round, and the umpire called it an intentional bet, resulting in a draw.
Of course, after the match, many fighting fans acknowledged that it was “Choi Doo-ho’s victory,” but in the end, Choi Doo-ho has not won the Octagon for eight years since his first round KO victory against Thiago Tavares in July 2016. In fact, it would not have been easy for Choi Doo-ho to survive in the UFC if it was not for the huge impact of “three consecutive first-round KO wins” he accumulated at the beginning of his debut. For the rest of Choi Doo-ho’s fighting career, it is essential to add victory in the Octagon.
Choi will face veteran fighter Bill Algio, born in 1989, at the UFC on ESPN 60. Algio, who has been active in the UFC since 2020, had five wins and four losses in nine matches at the Octagon and lost to Kyle Nelson, who tied with Choi in the first round by knockout in March. For Choi, it means he is the right opponent to sacrifice one win. Will Choi, who is aiming to win at the Octagon in eight years, be able to show fighting fans as hot as he used to be.
Sting and Korean Tiger to win consecutive games 업소알바
Choi Seung-woo, a former member of the Muay Thai national team who boasts outstanding batting skills, entered the UFC in 2019 after becoming a two-time champion in the domestic mixed martial arts group TFC. Choi Seung-woo, who started his UFC career with consecutive losses, later succeeded in turning the tables with three consecutive wins. In particular, he won a hot KO in 107 seconds in a match against Julian Erosa in June 2021 and received a “Performance of the Night” bonus for the first time since entering the UFC.
However, Choi Seung-woo lost three consecutive games against Joshua Koulibao and Michael Trizano, starting with Alex Caceres in October 2021. In particular, the loss of the fainting KO to Trizano, who had been losing consecutive games, was quite painful. Choi Seung-woo, who was in the biggest crisis after entering the UFC, showed his improved skills against Yarno Ehrens at the Singapore event, where Jung Chan-sung’s retirement match took place in August last year, winning a decision and escaping a losing streak.
Choi, who will participate in the comedy show due to the cancellation of Park Jun-yong’s fight, will face Steve Garcia, a fighter of the same age who has a record of 15 wins, 5 losses, and 12 knockouts. Garcia, who has four wins and two losses in the UFC, has been on the rise with three consecutive wins recently, and is a fighter who boasts a hot batting average that all three of his wins were knockouts. He may be the most dangerous opponent in Choi’s career, but in other words, he may be the most appropriate opponent to take the leap to the next level.
Lee Jung-young, who became the youngest Road FC champion at the age of 22, entered the UFC by winning the “Road to UFC” Season 1, which was a gateway to the UFC of Asian mixed martial arts prospects. Lee Jung-young, who boasts an aggressive style of play, settled smoothly in the Octagon in February with a 3-0 decision victory after an overwhelming performance against Blake Builder, a former amateur boxing U.S. state champion, in his UFC debut.
Lee Jung-young will face Haider Amil from the Philippines in his second UFC fight. Amil is a fighter with a record of 9 wins, no losses, and 5KO1 submission, and he defeated Funny Garcia with a second-round KO in his UFC debut in February. The match between Lee Jung-young and Amil is drawing so much attention that UFC President White introduced it as a “recommended match” on social media. This means that it is a great opportunity for Lee to make his name known to local fighting fans.