"One fatal left-hand punch": Lee Jung-young ultimately falls by KO, sinks into a three-fight losing streak in the UFC... Irosa wins farewell bout

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

"Korean Tiger" Lee Jung-young (31) failed to hold onto the advantage he established early in the fight, suffering a painful reversal KO loss that plunges him into a three-fight losing streak in the UFC.

On the 1st (Korea time), at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, Lee Jung-young suffered a knockout loss by punch to Julian Irosa in 1 minute and 31 seconds of the first round in a featherweight (65.8 kg) bout on the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. Nolan.

With this result, Lee Jung-young has fallen into a deep slump of three consecutive losses in the Octagon, following his defeats against Haider Al-Amil in 2024 and Daniel Santos in 2025. His overall record now stands at 11 wins and 4 losses, while his UFC record has dropped to 1 win and 3 losses. Despite being a former winner of ROAD TO UFC Season 1 who generated high expectations, he now faces his biggest crisis since entering the UFC.

The start was promising. Immediately after the glove touch signaling the beginning of the fight, Lee Jung-young launched a lightning-fast rush. He landed a powerful right overhand hook following a left hook, knocking Irosa straight to the Octagon floor. Although the shocked Irosa desperately held onto his lower body and attempted grappling to survive, Lee Jung-young once again connected with a right hook in the standing striking exchange as he got back up, pushing his opponent against the cage.

However, he ultimately could not overcome the veteran's crisis management skills. Irosa attempted a double-leg takedown, breaking Lee Jung-young's offensive momentum and buying time to recover.

The outcome was decided in an instant. As Irosa moved toward the center of the Octagon to counterattack, the two fighters exchanged one-two punches simultaneously, but only Irosa's punch landed on Lee Jung-young's face. In a split-second exchange of simultaneous overhand hooks, Lee Jung-young's punch missed while Irosa's powerful right hand struck Lee Jung-young's jaw precisely. Collapsing immediately, Lee Jung-young absorbed subsequent pounding punches and lost the fight in 91 seconds.

The 37-year-old veteran Irosa, who defeated Lee Jung-young, adorned his glamorous farewell bout with this victory. Irosa, who had declared that he would leave the Octagon after this fight regardless of the outcome, concluded his 16-year fighting career with an overall professional record of 45 fights, 32 wins and 13 losses, and a UFC record of 10 wins and 9 losses.

According to the UFC, Irosa said in a post-fight interview, "My opponent came in much more aggressively than I expected, so I was slightly taken aback at first," but added, "I focused on regaining my composure in my mind, and thanks to the experience gained from fighting numerous matches over a long period, I was able to overcome the crisis and find a solution."

In the main event of the day's card, light heavyweight ranked 14th Tom Nolan defeated 12th-ranked Renato Moicano by TKO via ground-and-pound and elbow in 1 minute and 28 seconds of the third round. Nolan extended his winning streak to six fights in the UFC, bringing him within reach of entering the top 10.

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

*This content was translated by AI.View Original