'Only Korean' UFC Female Fighter Takes on Challenge, Park Bo-hyun to Compete in RTU... Faces Chinese Powerhouse with Semifinal Record

*This content was translated by AI.

'Rush' Park Bo-hyun (27) is set to challenge for the title of the only active female UFC fighter from South Korea.

UFC announced that Park Bo-hyun will compete in 'ROAD TO UFC (RTU) Season 5 Opening Round: Day 2' on the 29th (Korean time) at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. 'ROAD TO UFC' is a tournament that grants dream-stage UFC contract rights to promising fighters from Asia and the Pacific region.

Park Bo-hyun, competing in the women's strawweight (52.2kg) tournament, passed the official weigh-in on the 28th with a weight of 51.7kg. Her opponent, Dong Huashang (27, China), who will fight on home soil, also passed the weigh-in at 52.4kg and is ready to compete.

During the face-off, Park Bo-hyun stood in the center of the stage with her hands behind her back, locking eyes with Dong Huashang in a tense stare-down. According to UFC, after completing the weigh-in, Park Bo-hyun boldly declared, "Facing Dong Huashang, she seemed smaller than I expected. I will fight with confidence."

Park Bo-hyun, who entered the world of combat sports through hapkido and has trained in kickboxing, is a fighter whose main weapon is powerful striking. Describing her fighting style, Park said, "I love boxing. I'm a fighter who enjoys scenes where I both strike and get hit." Debuting on the professional stage in 2018, Park previously held the Double G FC Atomweight Championship in Korea and in 2025, the previous year, rose to become the interim Strawweight Champion of Shuto, a major Japanese organization, proving her competitiveness on the Asian stage.

Ahead of this tournament, Park Bo-hyun stated, "I believe an opportunity to enter the dream stage has come, so I am preparing diligently," and added, "There are currently no female UFC fighters from Korea. I will definitely win and climb to the rankings."

If Park Bo-hyun wins the tournament and secures a contract, she will become the fourth Korean female UFC fighter in history, following Ham Seo-hee, Kim Ji-yeon, and Jeon Chan-mi.

This is by no means an easy opponent. Dong Huashang is a proven powerhouse who reached the semifinals in ROAD TO UFC Season 2 in 2023. Regarding her opponent, Park said, "She has competition experience, good physical attributes, and striking skills, making her a well-rounded wrestler," but added, "If I defend takedowns well, I believe I can definitely win," expressing confidence in victory.

Meanwhile, the special main event of today's tournament will feature the winner of the previous season. Sming (31, China), the Season 3 women's strawweight champion, will face Pooja Tomar (32, India). In the weigh-in, Sming recorded 52.2kg, while Tomar recorded 52.4kg.

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*This content was translated by AI.