'Korean Superboy' Choi Du-ho and 'Zombie Junior' Yoo Ju-sang ready for UFC debut... Both successfully pass official weigh-ins

*This content was translated by AI.

It's a Korean day at the UFC. 'Korean Superboy' Choi Du-ho (35) and 'Zombie Junior' Yoo Ju-sang (32) have both cleared the official weigh-in, completing their preparations for the showdown.

According to UFC's announcement on the 19th, Choi Du-ho and Yoo Ju-sang successfully completed the official weigh-in at a hotel in Los Angeles, California, USA. Both fighters will compete together tomorrow (Korean time) at Crypto.com Arena in 'Crypto.com UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2'.

Choi Du-ho (17 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses), competing in the third bout of the main card, passed the weigh-in at 66.2 kg, while his opponent, UFC Featherweight ranked No. 15 Patricio Pitbull (39, Brazil), recorded 66 kg. At the weigh-in event, the two fighters locked eyes from a distance before shaking hands and vowing to perform well.

This matchup is a decisive battle for Choi Du-ho's ranking entry. A victory would significantly increase his chances of returning to the rankings for the first time since 2018, eight years later. Additionally, it will mark the first Korean UFC ranked fighter in three years following the retirement of 'Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung in August 2023.

Choi Du-ho issued a challenge to Pitbull after defeating Daniel Toss via body shot TKO last May. At a press conference held the day before, Choi stated, "Pitbull is a legend, so I wanted to step up and take over his baton by challenging him." He added, "I always fight with the goal of knocking out my opponent." In response, Pitbull retorted, "I promise to finish Choi Du-ho," showing no retreat.

Yoo Ju-sang (9 wins, 1 loss), competing in the second bout of the undercard, also successfully completed the weigh-in with a weight of 66 kg. His opponent, Michael Aswell Jr. (25, USA), passed at 66.2 kg. The two fighters faced each other in the center of the stage, shook hands, engaged in an intense stare-down, and Yoo Ju-sang raised both fists high into a fighting pose.

For this event, 'Korean Zombie' Chan Sung Jung, who has challenged for the UFC Featherweight title twice, will serve as coach alongside Choi Du-ho and Yoo Ju-sang. Local oddsmakers estimate Choi Du-ho's win probability at approximately 70%, while Yoo Ju-sang's is around 65%.

Meanwhile, the weigh-in for the main event flyweight (56.7 kg) title bout has also concluded. Champion Joshua Van (24, Myanmar/USA) and former champion Alex Pantoja (36, Brazil) both cleared the weigh-in at 56.7 kg. During the weigh-in event, the two fighters stared each other down from such close proximity that their heads nearly touched, ultimately failing to shake hands, signaling a fierce contest ahead. Pantoja remarked, "What happened last December will never happen again," while Van responded firmly, "It wasn't an accident; it was always meant to be. Tomorrow is either kill or be killed."

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*This content was translated by AI.