[Breaking News] Ah! 'Shocking Defeat' Choi Du-ho, TKO Loss in Round 1 to Pitbull — "A Clean Shot to the Chin" The Wall of a UFC Ranked Fighter Was Too High

*This content was translated by AI.

'Korean Super Boy' Choi Du-hoo (35) suffered a regretful TKO loss in his bout against Patricio Pitbull (39, Brazil).

Choi Du-hoo (17 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses) faced the No. 15-ranked featherweight Pitbull (37 wins, 9 losses) in the third main card fight of UFC 331 held on the 20th (Korean time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, USA, and suffered a TKO loss in the first round.

This match was arranged after Choi Du-hoo defeated Daniel San Toss (Brazil) last May, immediately naming Pitbull as his next opponent.

Since returning in 2023, Choi Du-hoo had been on an undefeated streak with three wins and one draw. However, this loss ended his unbeaten run.

Choi Du-hoo and Pitbull cautiously exchanged probing strikes after touching gloves. Choi showed light footwork, using his footwork and jabs to unsettle Pitbull. Although he allowed a body kick, Choi quickly created distance and regained his balance.

After allowing a one-two punch from Pitbull, blood began to flow from the right eye of Choi Du-hoo. Nevertheless, Choi landed jabs and seemed to be preparing a counterattack, though he also took a left-hand counter. Choi then appeared to attempt a counter with an uppercut but ultimately allowed a decisive right straight to the chin, resulting in a knockdown. Pitbull immediately unleashed ground-and-pound on the fallen Choi Du-hoo, prompting the referee to stop the fight, leading to a TKO loss for Choi.

Meanwhile, Pitbull was a legendary fighter who had captured both featherweight and lightweight titles at Bellator and successfully defended his belts nine times. Since joining UFC in 2025, he has recorded one win and two losses.

Earlier, according to UFC, Choi Du-hoo stated, "There are many advantages to defeating a legend like Pitbull, and if I want to go higher, I must defeat well-known fighters," explaining why he chose Pitbull as his opponent. He further added, "I have never had a decision fight in the UFC so far. I believe Pitbull won't last until a decision," showing strong confidence. Before this match, Choi Du-hoo and Pitbull's finish rates were 88% and 65%, respectively.

He continued, "I am preparing for every fight as if it were my last. I trained so hard that I feel I couldn't have done any better than this," and added, "It is an honor to represent the country like a national team athlete. I will show a great performance in front of Korean fans in LA." Choi Du-hoo reaffirmed his determination once again. In response, Pitbull also declared, "I promise to finish Choi Du-hoo," showing his resolve.

Choi Du-hoo and Pitbull attended the official weigh-in event at a hotel in Los Angeles on the 19th and passed without issue. Choi weighed in at 66.2 kg, while Pitbull recorded 66 kg.

Had Choi Du-hoo won this fight, he would have returned to the top 15 for the first time since being removed from the rankings in July 2018 — a gap of eight years and two months. In that case, it would have been recorded as the longest break among current UFC rostered fighters before returning to the rankings. Additionally, Choi Du-hoo, who had reached No. 11 in November 2016, could have become the first Korean ranked fighter in three years since Jung Chan-sung, but he unfortunately suffered a bitter defeat. Previously, Jung Chan-sung retired in August 2023 after reaching as high as No. 3 among Korean fighters.

However, unable to defeat Pitbull, Choi Du-hoo had no choice but to leave the cage with regret.

Additionally, in the second undercard fight held before Choi Du-hoo's bout, 'Zombie Junior' Yoo Ju-sang (32) suffered a split decision loss against Michael Aswell Jr. (25, USA).

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*This content was translated by AI.