"I am the Korean Tiger, and I will prove it": Lee Jung-young passes weigh-in, vows fiery showdown with U.S. fighter

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

'Korean Tiger' Lee Jung-young (30) has completed his preparations for his return to the Octagon after a year and a half.

Lee passed the official weigh-in on the 31st (Korea time) at Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, making the featherweight limit of 66 kg. His opponent, 'Jussie J' Julian Erosa (37, USA), also stepped off the scale at 66 kg.

The two fighters will face each other in the fifth bout on the undercard of 'UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs Nolan,' scheduled for November 1 at Meta APEX. Standing face to face in the center of the weigh-in stage, the two smiled and shook hands with both hands clasped before clenching their fists and striking fighting poses, showing mutual respect.

Lee will step into the Octagon for the first time in about a year and six months since suffering a decision loss to Daniel Santos at UFC 315 last May. Having devoted himself to training locally in the United States for a year and three months, Lee declared his intention to reclaim the instincts of the 'Korean Tiger' who finished both his quarterfinal and semifinal bouts in under one minute when he won the featherweight division in Season 1 of 'ROAD TO UFC' in 2022.

Lee stated, "My goal is to find myself again," adding, "I believe once more that I am the Korean Tiger, and I am focusing on bringing that version of myself back."

This matchup serves as the retirement bout for Erosa, a veteran with 17 years in the professional ranks. Since his debut in 2010, Erosa has recorded a career record of 31 wins and 13 losses (9 wins and 9 losses in the UFC). A former Cage Sports featherweight and lightweight champion, he has defeated Charles Jourdain, Ricardo Ramos, and Nate Landwehr, among others. He is also well known to domestic fans for his TKO loss to Choi Seung-woo in 2021.

Regarding his opponent, Lee maintained a cautious stance, saying, "He has seen it all, so I absolutely cannot let my guard down." However, he vowed, "I am approaching this as if it were my final fight and will put on a great show. I believe I have the speed advantage and stronger punching power. I will show you how I fight like a tiger in the Octagon."

Lightweight ranked No. 12 'Money' Renato Moicano (37, Brazil), who is set to headline the main event of this card, and rising star 'Big Train' Tom Nolan (26, Australia), who is on a five-fight winning streak, also passed the weigh-in at 70.8 kg and 70.5 kg, respectively, and previewed their decisive battle.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original