There was a prospect that it could affect the game of the second season of Road to UFC, in which special forces reserve Kim Sang-wook (30) participates as a mixed martial artist.
Ken Hamamura (40, Japan) said, “Kim Sang-wook cannot be said to be an internationally well-known mixed martial artist,” but “there is a good chance that it will act as an unexpected variable in the 2023 Road to UFC lightweight (-70 kg)”. did.
UFC, the world’s No. 1 organization, launched Road to UFC in 2022, an Asian mixed martial arts prospect contest that qualifies winners of tournaments by weight category.
This season’s Road to UFC kicks off on May 27 at the China Performance Institute Shanghai. Kim Sang-wook will play a lightweight quarterfinal against Kazuma Maruyama (31, Japan).
Hamamura is the representative director of Tri.H studio where Maruyama works as a trainer. During his career, he was the M-1 Challenge (Russia) Japan Representative and GLADIATOR (Japan) Lightweight Champion.
“Kim Sang-wook served as the interim welterweight (-77kg) champion in the Korean AFC,” said Hamamura, noting that he predicted that “depending on the circumstances of the 2023 Road to UFC lightweight tournament, he may be identified as a strong competitor.”
Maruyama had experience fighting for the Australian Bragging Rights welterweight title. It is like a match between Korea and Japan to go down to the lightweight division in order to advance to a major mixed martial arts tournament.
Hamamura said, “Maruyama, who will face Kim Sang-wook, must not relax. He is honestly worried,” he said, not ruling out the possibility that the protégé could not make it to the semifinals of Road to UFC.
Kim Sang-wook, who fulfilled his military service duty in the Navy Special Warfare Team (UDT/SEAL), appeared in survival entertainment programs such as Channel A’Steel Troop’ in 2021 and Netflix’Physical: 100′ in 2023.크크크벳
Physical: 100 gained worldwide popularity, ranking first in global OTT’Netflix’ non-English viewing hours from February 6 to 19, 2023. Kim Sang-wook, who survived to the final 30, also rose in name value.
Kim Sang-wook is a fighter belonging to ‘Team Stun Gun’ led by broadcaster Kim Dong-hyun (42), who was the MC of the Steel Troops. Whether he can become Kim Dong-hyun’s junior in the UFC is of interest this season’s Road to UFC.
Kim Dong-hyun’s record of 18 matches since 2008, 13 wins, 4 losses, and 1 nullity, is still the most appearances and wins by a Korean in the UFC. From February 2-7, 2017, he was #6 in the official UFC welterweight rankings.