Rising Korean rookie UFC fighters meet with fans.
The UFC will hold a fan signing event with 'KO' Ko Seok-hyun (31), 'Zombie Junior' Yoo Joo-sang (31), 'Piece of Mind' Park Hyun-seong (29), 'K-Machine' Lee Chang-ho (31), and 'Yujitsu' Yoo Soo-young (29) at UFC SPORT Seongsu in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, on July 3.
Fans will be able to meet all five fighters who are performing successfully in the UFC and get their signatures. Starting at 5 p.m. that day, 100 people will be given a waiting number on a first-come, first-served basis. Before the fan signing event, a press conference with four fighters will be held at 5 p.m.
Recently, Korean athletes have been performing exceptionally well in the UFC through various pathways such as Road To UFC, Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS), and Looking For a Fight. This event is designed to showcase the new wave of Korean UFC fighters to fans.
Kevin Zhang, UFC managing director and Asia general manager, opened with, "Korea has long had a strong fan base for UFC and mixed martial arts (MMA). The moment when all the fans sang along to his entrance song as 'Korean Zombie' Jeong Chan-sung announced his retirement in 2023 was one of the greatest and most memorable moments in UFC history."
He continued, "Now a new generation is drawing attention with their exceptional performances," and introduced the Korean rookie fighters, stating, "Road To UFC winner Park Hyun-seong, Yoo Soo-young, and Lee Chang-ho, as well as Yoo Joo-sang, who was the first Korean to sign with the UFC through 'Looking For a Fight,' and Ko Seok-hyun, who was the first to sign with the UFC through DWCS, have made new history."
Finally, he emphasized, "We have high expectations for the potential shown by the new wave of Korean prospects following in the footsteps of pioneers like 'Korean Zombie' Jeong Chan-sung and 'Stun Gun' Kim Dong-hyun."
Heirs to Jeong Chan-sung and Kim Dong-hyun are making their mark. 'Stun Gun' Kim Dong-hyun, who holds the record for the most wins in UFC Korea (13), has trained a protégé who resembles him closely. Ko Seok-hyun (12 wins, 2 losses) easily defeated Oban Elliott, who had been on a three-fight winning streak in the UFC, using his mentor's strength, grappling, during his debut on the 22nd. It was a spectacular debut that former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping emphasized, saying, 'Remember the name Ko Seok-hyun.'
Yoo Joo-sang, undefeated with 9 wins in the featherweight (65.8 kg) division, claims to be the successor to Jeong Chan-sung, 'Zombie Junior.' On the 8th at UFC 316, he rose to stardom by knocking out Road To UFC Season 1 lightweight runner-up Jeca Saragih in just 28 seconds with a picture-perfect counter check hook. He captured the attention of UFC President Dana White with a right-hand punch knockout last December at ZFN, an organization founded by Jeong Chan-sung. In an unusual move, the UFC exclusively interviewed rookie Yoo Joo-sang on its official YouTube channel, highlighting his connection with 'Korean Zombie' Jeong Chan-sung.
Park Hyun-seong, Yoo Soo-young, and Lee Chang-ho gained entry into the UFC after winning the Road To UFC tournament, which serves as a gateway for Asia. All of them have shown a bright future for Korean UFC by winning their UFC debuts. The Road To UFC was initiated in 2022 to provide opportunities to top MMA prospects in Asia to enter the global stage. The fourth season is currently underway, during which Yoon Chang-min has reached the featherweight semifinals, and Park Jae-hyun and Kim Sang-wook have reached the lightweight semifinals.
Road To UFC Season 1 flyweight (56.7 kg) winner Park Hyun-seong subdued Carlos Hernandez with a first-round rear-naked choke submission in May, marking his second win in the UFC. He heightened expectations for entering the UFC flyweight ranking with a 10-fight winning streak and 9 consecutive finishes.
Road To UFC Season 2 bantamweight (61.2 kg) winner Lee Chang-ho (11 wins, 1 loss) successfully debuted in the UFC in April by TKO'ing Cortavius Romious with ground and pound. He earned the nickname 'K-Machine' for his relentless pressure reminiscent of UFC bantamweight champion 'The Machine' Merab Dvalishvili.
Road To UFC Season 3 bantamweight winner Yoo Soo-young (15 wins, 3 losses, 2 no contests) also successfully settled in the UFC after an overwhelming performance against AJ Cunningham. He achieved 5 takedowns, controlling his opponent for 7 minutes and 54 seconds in a favorable position, living up to his name, 'Yujitsu.'
[Photo] Provided by UFC.
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