Pride of defeating a Japanese champion, inspiration from a UFC senior
- allforyouclick
- 0
- on Aug 19, 2023
Kim Sang-won (30) outpointed Japanese Shooto featherweight (-66 kg) champion Keisuke Sasu (29) in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Road to UFC.
The world’s premier organization launched the Road to UFC in 2022, an Asian mixed martial arts talent search that rewards tournament winners with entry into the organization. On August 27, Kim will face last season’s runner-up Yi Yi (26-China) in the semifinals at the Singapore Indoor Stadium (12,000 capacity).
On Road to UFC Season 2, Kim scored a TKO victory at 3:18 of the second round of the quarterfinals with light straight and ground punches. “I felt like he was a very strong opponent. Overcoming SARS boosted my confidence,” he recalled.메이저놀이터
The top five promotions in the world of mixed martial arts are the UFC, Bellator, Professional Fighters League (USA), ONE Championship in Singapore, and Rizin in Japan.
Japan’s Shuto is rounded out by Russia’s Absolute Championship Akhmat, Poland’s Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki, England’s Cage Warriors, DEEP, Pancrase (both Japan), USA’s Titan, and Brazil’s Jungle Fight, along with the rest of the major organizations.
Lee first came into the spotlight when he submitted Saas with a rear-naked choke just 2:14 into the Road to UFC Season 1 quarterfinals. “It’s great to win in the first round,” said Kim, “but I saw Saas’ interview about the loss. He dislocated his elbow and couldn’t stop Lee’s jiu-jitsu skills.”
It was a legitimate grappling battle, and it was not Izu’s fault that Sasu’s arm fell off. “I appreciate the fact that he not only recognized the injury quickly, but also sealed the victory without giving him any room to recover,” said Kim Sang-won, acknowledging Lee’s killer instinct.
An indirect comparison of the same players and matchups would suggest that Lee is better than Kim. However, knowing the unexpected bad news of the SARS outbreak, Kim said, “I think it would be fun to fight him,” and he is looking forward to the Road to UFC Season 2 showdown.
The South Korean “Doubledog” champion can also boast a win over UFC fighter Jack Jenkins, 30. He secured the submission via rear-naked choke just 4:06 into their 2018 Hex Fight Series bout in Australia.
Jenkins has won nine straight mixed martial arts fights, including two in the UFC. After his most recent win over Jenkins, Kim’s value is naturally increasing. “I can go to the UFC,” he said.
“I’m very motivated,” he says. The better I perform, the better I feel. I feel like I can do it too. It gives me positive energy,” he said of Jenkins, who will attempt to make his UFC debut next month with a three-fight winning streak.
“I see him all the time when he competes in Australian mixed martial arts tournaments (as a fighter or second),” Kim said. “When we see each other, we say hello and we’re friends. Of course, there are some strange feelings between us, but I always wish Jenkins well,” he said, expressing his friendship.