*This content was translated by AI.
'Korean Tiger' Lee Jung-young (30) will return to the UFC octagon for the first time in a year and a half, seeking to turn the tide.
Lee Jung-young, winner of the featherweight division in Season 1 of Road to UFC, is set to face American veteran fighter Julian Irosa (37, USA) at 'UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan' on November 1 (Korean time) at Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. This marks his return bout after approximately one year and six months since suffering a loss to Daniel Toss in May last year.
After dominating the domestic and Asian stages before entering the octagon, Lee Jung-young experienced growing pains following a stunning UFC debut victory, falling into a two-fight losing streak. To overcome the shock of the losses, Lee moved his base entirely to the United States, the birthplace of combat sports, in August last year. Having directly engaged with top global fighters and undergone world-class training, this is a stage where he must prove his evolved skills.
Irosa, his opponent, is a seasoned fighter who has competed in 18 bouts solely within the UFC. A product of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 22 featherweight tournament, Irosa has accumulated nine wins on the UFC stage. He has defeated formidable opponents in his weight class, including Charles Jourdain—who defeated Choi Doo-ho—as well as Darren Elkins, Nate Landwehr, and Sean Woodson. Among domestic combat sports fans, he is well known for suffering a first-round punch KO loss to Choi Seung-woo in 2021. Recently, Irosa has also fallen into a two-fight losing streak after being defeated by Melquizedec Costa and Leigh Douglas, setting up an unavoidable showdown against Lee Jung-young.
Irosa boasts an impressive finish rate of 84%, with 27 of his 31 career wins coming by way of finish. Among his 13 career losses, eight were by KO, indicating he thrives in explosive, high-intensity fights regardless of the outcome.
Lee Jung-young's striking power is equally formidable. With a finish rate of 64%, Lee has secured four KO victories through heavy strikes and earned three submission wins via precise armbar techniques.
Meanwhile, in the main event of this tournament featuring Lee Jung-young, UFC lightweight (70.3kg) ranked No. 11 Renato Moicano (37, Brazil) will clash with rising No. 14 Tom Nolan (26, Australia).
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*This content was translated by AI.
