Yoo Joo-sang (31) is confident of victory in his UFC debut.

Yoo Joo-sang will face Road to UFC Season 1 lightweight (70.3 kg) runner-up Jeka Saragi (30, Indonesia) in the featherweight (65.8 kg) division in the undercard of 'UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2' at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on the 8th.

Although it is his debut on the major stage, he feels comfortable. Yoo Joo-sang (8 wins) expressed confidence about Saragi (14 wins, 4 losses), saying, "He is a fighter who swings hard with every blow, but he poses no threat to me, and it will be difficult for him to win."

In fact, the odds set by bookmakers predict Yoo Joo-sang's chance of victory at about 80%. Yoo Joo-sang, a former boxing player, boasts light steps and unpredictable creative attacks as his strengths. He also showcases solid skills in grappling. He is expected to perform well in the UFC.

Saragi, who faces Yoo Joo-sang, is a fighter with strong striking power and a former Wushu Sanda champion from Indonesia. He left a strong impression on domestic fans by knocking out veteran Kwon Bin in the semifinals of Road to UFC Season 1 lightweight in 2022. In the UFC, he has recorded 1 win and 1 loss after dropping to the featherweight division. He is regarded as relatively weak in grappling.

Yoo Joo-sang signed a contract with the UFC through Dana White's scouting program, 'Looking for a Fight', in December of last year. After watching the ZFN 02 event run by 'Korean Zombie' Jung Chan-sung remotely, Chairman White selected him directly. Reflecting on his feelings at that time, Yoo said, "It's hard to put into words, but it feels like all the hardships I've gone through are rewarded because my dream, which I wanted so much, is coming true."

Yoo Joo-sang's goal is to become a UFC champion. Since Jung Chan-sung's retirement, there has not been a single UFC top 15 ranked fighter in Korea. Yoo Joo-sang confidently says he will become a champion, surpassing the rankers. He stated, "When you watch my fights, you won’t be able to take your eyes off. I will show everything I have built up until now, so please support me."

In the main event that day, UFC bantamweight (61.2 kg) champion 'Machine' Merab Dvalishvili (34, Georgia) will face 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley (30, USA) in his second title defense. Dvalishvili (19 wins, 4 losses) claimed the title by defeating O'Malley (18 wins, 1 no contest, 2 losses) by unanimous decision at UFC 306 in September last year. O'Malley has trained in wrestling, the area he was exploited in their first match, to reclaim the title.

In the co-main event, two-time Olympic judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison (34, USA) will challenge UFC bantamweight champion Julianna Peña (35, USA). If Harrison (18 wins, 1 loss) defeats Peña (17 wins, 5 losses) and claims the championship in the UFC, the highest stage of mixed martial arts (MMA), she could establish herself as one of the greatest female combat sports athletes in history.

The main card of 'UFC 316: Dvalishvili vs. O'Malley 2' will be broadcast live on TVING from 11 a.m. on June 8 (Sunday), and the undercard will start at 9 a.m. The match between Yoo Joo-sang and Jeka Saragi will be broadcast with a delay at 8:40 a.m.

[Photo] Provided by UFC.

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