"K-Tyson" Ko Seok-hyun fell down. "I couldn't breathe at all."" An unfortunate accidental injury... UFC's 3rd consecutive victory 'Suddenly Braking'

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean Tyson's "Korean Tyson" Ko Seok-hyun (33)'s relentless three-game winning streak at UFC has been suddenly braked. Ko Seok-hyun, who showed off his overwhelming skills as a handmade player of "Stern Gun" Kim Dong-hyun, collapsed just before facing a showdown with Jacoby Smith of the U.S. due to an unexpected injury.

Ko Seok-hyun recently appeared on YouTube channel "Mami Kim TV" and said, "I tried to take a take-down and crossed the opponent, but I took a picture of the rib in front of my knee," adding, "I couldn't stand up for a while because I couldn't breathe at all right after the accident." I was helped and barely headed to the hospital," he said.

In the video, Ko Seok-hyun collapsed complaining of severe pain during training, and hospital scrutiny revealed that he was diagnosed with rib fracture No. 12 on the left.

Finally, Ko Seok-hyun gave up his participation in the Jacoby Smith match of the UFC Fight Night: Strickland vs Hernandez competition, which was scheduled to be held at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on February 22 (Korea time). In the live UFC broadcast on the 7th, Smith's opponent was officially guided as a "backward decision (TBD), and Ko Seok-hyun's absence was a fact.

This injury is all the more painful because it drew great attention from the local community as a showdown between Shin Seong, who will gauge the future of the UFC welterweight division. His opponent, Smith, is an undefeated monster with 11 MMA victories. After entering through "Dayna White's Contender Series (DWCS)" in 2024, he proved his initial firepower by overpowering both Preston Parsons and Nico Price with a finish.

Ko Seok-hyun also showed overwhelming performance against veteran Philo in November last year and was praised by former UFC champion Daniel Comier for "excellent ground management and understanding of the game." The match against Smith was a golden opportunity to raise his name to the top, but he chose a perfect recovery rather than an excessive participation due to a rib fracture that was hard to breathe.

Ko Seok-hyun expressed his sincere apology to his opponents Smith and UFC officials for not being able to play the match due to a sudden injury and to fans who have been waiting for his third consecutive victory. Ko Seok-hyun said, "I will be careful for about a month and focus on recovery," adding, "If the game is scheduled again around April after completion, I think I can reach the octagon enough." Teacher Kim Dong-hyun also encouraged his disappointed student Ko Seok-hyun, saying, "Let's focus only on recovery now."

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*This content was translated by AI.