"300 million won reward for each gold medal at AG, up to 1.8 billion won total" — Jeong Moon-hong, President of the Korean MMA General Association, makes surprise pledge

*This content was translated by AI.

Mixed martial arts athletes preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games now have a major new motivation. The likelihood of receiving a reward of up to 300 million won for winning a gold medal has increased.

Jeong Moon-hong (52), President of the Korean MMA General Association, declared on the 19th via his YouTube channel "Gao-hyeong Life" that a total of 1.8 billion won in rewards will be awarded to 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games gold medalists.

On the 15th, the Korean Olympic Committee officially announced its approval of the Korean MMA General Association's application for associate membership. Unlike the past when South Korea's mixed martial arts was treated as a minor sport, it has now firmly entered the mainstream sports system.

The Korean MMA General Association is a member organization of the Asian MMA Association (AMMA), which operates under the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), the body that organizes the Asian Games. It has been preparing for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games for a long period. The association has participated in all AMMA international competitions, allowing its athletes to accumulate points for Asian Games qualification.

Having become an officially affiliated organization of the Korean Olympic Committee, the Korean MMA General Association will now send a national team to the Asian Games. Qualifying matches for the Asian Games are currently underway. On the 19th, a team of athletes from the Korean MMA General Association, led by head coach Kim Geum-cheon and secretary general Kim Sung-tae, and including Lee Bo-mi, Choi Eun-seok, Park Jae-seong, Song Hyun-bin, and Yoon Tae-young, boarded a flight to Tashkent, Uzbekistan. They will participate in the 4th AMMA Asian Championships, scheduled to be held from the 22nd to the 24th.

This is a stage that must be passed to achieve the major goal of the Asian Games. Athletes who win gold medals will be confirmed for Asian Games participation. For silver and bronze medalists, participation will be determined based on points. Athletes selected as national team members will compete in the 2006 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will be held starting September 19.

To motivate the athletes, Jeong Mun-hong (Chairman) has decided to provide a special incentive. The plan is to award 300 million won per athlete for gold medals, with a maximum total reward of 1.8 billion won if all six weight classes win gold. For male athletes, winning a gold medal will not only bring a 300 million won reward but also exemption from military service.

Jeong Mun-hong (Chairman) stated, "MMA has become an official sport at the Asian Games all at once. There is no way interest won't be huge. As the association president, I must do better for the athletes. What if we give 300 million won per weight class to each gold medalist? If all weight classes win gold, that would be 1.8 billion won. If all six weight classes win gold, we will award rewards to all."

Jeong Mun-hong (Chairman), an entrepreneur and former martial arts athlete, is the founder and president of Road FC, a prominent mixed martial arts organization in Korea, and represents the Korean fighting sports scene. The Asian Games also present a prime opportunity to further popularize Korean mixed martial arts. Expectations are high to see what results Jeong (Chairman)'s bold declaration will yield at the Asian Games.

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*This content was translated by AI.