'How all six wins were TKOs' — That's why he's the Super Boy! Choi Doo-ho secures third consecutive victory and bonus money... Jung Chan-sung's coaching also perfectly hits the mark [UFC]

*This content was translated by AI.

Choi Doo-ho (35) has re-established himself as a fighter drawing intense attention from the UFC for the first time in 10 years. He is now aiming to re-enter the rankings.

On the 17th (Korean time), Choi Doo-ho secured a second-round TKO victory over Daniel Toss (31, Brazil) in the featherweight co-main event at 'UFC Fight Night: Allen vs. Costa' held at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Choi Doo-ho, who holds a UFC record of 10 fights with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses, achieved his third consecutive victory for the first time in 10 years. After defeating Bill Algeo and Nate Landwehr in 2024 to announce a spectacular comeback, Choi added Toss to his list of victories, setting a remarkable personal record of three consecutive UFC wins for the first time since 2016.

'Korean Zombie' Jung Chan-sung stepped in as a top-tier assistant. Since March, he left his hometown of Daegu and conducted intensive training under Jung Chan-sung's guidance in Seoul. Having climbed as high as fourth in the UFC featherweight rankings and fought for title bouts twice, Choi absorbed Jung's vast experience before stepping back into the octagon.

It was no easy opponent. Toss earned the nickname 'Korean Killer' for his dominance over Korean fighters. He defeated 'Korean Tiger' Lee Jung-young in May last year and 'Zombie Junior' Yoo Joo-sang in October, facing Korean fighters for three consecutive bouts.

Ahead of the fight, Choi Doo-ho stated, "As the most widely known UFC fighter from Korea, I feel a sense of responsibility," and added, "I will definitely erase Toss's 'Korean Killer' title in this fight," demonstrating strong determination, which he proved on the octagon.

Originally scheduled to face each other in September last year, Choi's bout was canceled due to a knee injury. The rematch was eventually realized when Toss's original opponent, Gavin Tucker, retired. Toss directly contacted the UFC to request a rematch with Choi, leading to a dramatic showdown after 1 year and 5 months.

Having fully recovered from his injury during the break, Choi Doo-ho said, "I treated my injuries and prepared many new weapons," and added, "I will clearly show a changed version of myself in this fight."

The first round did not go well. From the start, both fighters exchanged fierce punches without much probing, and Choi appeared somewhat passive. He allowed more strikes against Toss, who aggressively pressed forward.

Effective strikes in the first round showed a significant gap: 28 to 47. A counterattack was needed in the second round. Choi's face turned bright red. After the first round, Jung Chan-sung pinpointed the exact issues.

Jung Chan-sung said, "Can you hear me, brother? Why did you hold back so much?" He pointed out, "He comes in the same way every time. You're only blocking with your guard when he throws combinations. You need to break through. If he comes in big, you can jump and throw a flying knee kick. I wish he threw only three punches. You're getting caught in the same pattern."

He continued, "You're good at your movements and jabs, but you stop when you come in (from your guard). Even if you clinch, you must defend. There are no threatening punches, so staying still is the problem. You need to break that." He emphasized, "At the end, the pattern (backspin elbow) came out. Don't get cornered against the cage."

In the second round, Choi Doo-ho was completely different. He aggressively extended his punches and actively countered Toss's attacks. Clean shots landed in succession, and Toss's movements began to slow down. At some point, Toss's face also turned red.

Cornering Toss, Choi Doo-ho quickly ended the fight. A powerful left hook to the body sent Toss down, and as a series of powerful ground strikes followed, the referee stopped the contest. Effective strikes in the second round were completely reversed: 44 to 25.

He clearly showed why he is called 'Super Boy.' Since his UFC debut in 2014, Choi Doo-ho has secured victories with spectacular finishes. All six wins leading up to this day were by knockout. His overall mixed martial arts record now stands at 16 wins, 4 losses, and 1 draw.

When asked if turning the tables in the first round was part of the strategy, Choi Doo-ho replied, "I trusted my training." When told that finishing with a body shot suggested he sensed his opponent's fatigue from accumulated damage, he said, "My opponent was too tough, so I didn't feel much of that. I just did what I was doing."

However, he was clear about his next opponent. Choi Doo-ho appealed, "Pitbull, Pitbull. I want to fight Pitbull once."

Patricio Pitbull (38, Brazil) is ranked 15th in the featherweight division, which could be a great opportunity for Choi Doo-ho to re-enter the rankings. Having been a featherweight and lightweight champion at Bellator, the second-largest fighting stage after the UFC, there is anticipation over whether Choi can defeat Pitbull, re-enter the rankings, and surpass his career-high ranking of 11th (in 2016).

Choi Doo-ho also secured bonus money. Although the fight ended in the second round, it was selected as 'Fight of the Night.' The UFC stated, "An exciting night in Las Vegas featured outstanding bouts, including the thrilling match between Choi Doo-ho and Daniel Toss, Alice Ardelin's first capsule lock submission victory in UFC history, and Juan Diaz's spectacular debut win. The fight between Choi Doo-ho and Daniel Toss was selected as 'Fight of the Night' despite lasting less than two rounds. Despite not competing for over a year, Choi Doo-ho still showed sharp and comfortable performance in the octagon, achieving three consecutive wins. The fight began with explosive and fierce striking exchanges. Toss recorded nearly twice as many punches as Choi in the first round. However, in the second round, Choi gradually cornered Toss, landed powerful combinations, and finished the fight with a decisive body shot that sent Toss to the canvas."

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*This content was translated by AI.