"Korean Tyson" Ko Seok-hyun is trying to win 3 consecutive UFC games in 3 months... Confronting the Newcomer of the U.S. Monster

*This content was translated by AI.

Ko Seok-hyun (32), a handmade player of "Stern Gun" Kim Dong-hyun and called "Korean Tyson," has started to win three consecutive UFC games. The opponent is Jacoby Smith (29), an American monster rookie who has won all 11 games.

UFC officially announced on the 15th that Ko Seok-hyun will play a welterweight match with Smith in the UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez competition at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on February 22 (Korea time).

It is his first return match in about three months since beating Philo in November last year. Ko Seok-hyun returned to the gym immediately from the day after returning home and continued training, waiting for the game proposal. At the time of the match, Ko Seok-hyun said through the UFC, "I didn't care when the match was scheduled because I was constantly training," adding, "I'm glad the match was set sooner than I thought."

This match is drawing local attention as a showdown between Shin Seong, who will gauge the future of the UFC welterweight division. Both players have won two consecutive games side by side since entering the UFC splendidly through the 'Dayna White's Contender Series (DWCS)' in 2024. Ko Seok-hyun has 13 wins and 2 losses in his career, defeating Oban Elliott and Philo, and Smith has defeated both Preston Parsons and Nico Price with finishes, continuing his unbeaten streak of winning all 11 games.

Opponent Smith is a tough opponent with powerful power and wrestling. He has won as many as nine of his 11 career wins with a finish. The initial firepower is so strong that seven of them came out in the first round. He is a former American folk style wrestling player and boasts a brilliant elite wrestling career, including two NJCAA champions and one NCAA All-American (8th).

Ko Seok-hyun is also strong in grappling. Ko Seok-hyun, who has trained judo since her time and won the gold medal at the 2017 Kombat Sambo World Championships, uses a unique grappling style that mixes judo and sambo. Ko Seok-hyun expressed confidence, saying, "Smith wrestles as his main weapon and has good firepower, so it would be fun to stand against him," adding, "The conventional wrestling fight will not be easy, but my style is different from that and there are many anomalous weapons, so my opponent will be embarrassed."

Ko Seok-hyun's confidence comes from his recent overwhelming performance. When he won a unanimous decision against veteran Philo in November, he made four takedowns and controlled more than 13 minutes at the top position.

Former UFC champion Daniel Comey, who was the commentator at the time, praised Ko Seok-hyun for his excellent ground management, physical strength, and understanding of the game. In response, Ko Seok-hyun said, "It's an undeserved compliment, but it's still not enough. "I want to become a more complete player," he said, maintaining his humility.

The main event of this competition, featuring Ko Seok-hyun, will be a showdown between former middleweight champion and current No. 3 Sean Strickland and No. 4 Anthony Hernandez. Strickland is aiming to challenge the title again as a strong player who beat Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa. Hernandez is aiming for the title shot with eight consecutive wins.

In addition, hot matches are prepared, including the match between heavyweight No. 7 Sergei Spivac and Ante Delia, and the middleweight match between Mitchell Pereira and Zacharyis.

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*This content was translated by AI.