UFC: South Korean fighter Choi Seung-woos journey from DMZ to featherweight fairy tale

South Korean MMA fighter Choi Seung-woo’s unlikely journey to the UFC started in the hills of Sokcho, in the country’s northeastern province of Gangwon-do, just kilometres from North Korea.

Several cross-border traditions still carry over in the city of around 80,000 to this day – it was considered part of the North until the 1953 Korean war armistice – but is now notable for producing a promising UFC featherweight.

“I still can’t believe it’s actually happened,” said the 28-year-old Choi (9-3) after stunning the bookies by beating Youssef Zalal (10-4) via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas last weekend. Nicknamed “Sting” for his venomous striking ability, Choi was a former national Muay Thai champion before switching to MMA.

“I lived in Sokcho until I was 18. To be honest, when I started Muay Thai there weren’t many fighters or coaches at all, but I had this idea to become the best martial artist and tried to do it myself. There’s a lot of nature in Sokcho, so I would climb up mountains with my dad every day – no complaining about the lack of resources or whatever – and worked towards that dream,” said Choi, speaking to the Post while undergoing mandatory quarantine back home.

“Originally, I wanted to be a K1 [kick-boxing] fighter. Then I went to the army [for mandatory military service] and started watching UFC with my family during the holidays. Soon my mission was to debut in the UFC. That’s when I started MMA.”

The win over highly touted Moroccan Zalal has propelled Choi up the featherweight division and into contention for bouts against ranked fighters. He is now 2-2 since joining the promotion in 2019.

Choi, who trains in Seoul, said his last performance marked a turning point in his career. He was originally slated for another fight but replacements twice pulled out from Las Vegas on a week’s notice.

“I’m thrilled to be a on a two-fight win streak. I finally had a chance to show the fans who I am and my desire to go up the rankings. These future fights will be the ones where I can really show my ability,” said Choi, who debuted in the UFC as a short-notice replacement against undefeated Russian Movsar Evloev (14-0).

“I was a massive underdog and there were a lot of comments from overseas saying I didn’t stand a chance against Zalal. I wondered why they thought that because I really felt I could beat him. I wanted – needed – to prove them wrong in the Octagon as soon as possible.

“This fight was so much more important [than my first win in the UFC] because it would decide my future contract. I wasn’t sure I’d get one if I didn’t win, so I was training desperately and wanted to win in big and stylish fashion.”

A former two-time champion in Korean promotion Top Fighting Championship, Choi unleashed a Conor McGregor-esque performance. From crafty shoulder strikes to much-improved takedown defence – long considered his Achilles’ heel – he earned praise from legendary fighter-analysts Daniel Cormier and Dominick Cruz.

“I’m really thankful because their comments were spot on – I’ve been working very hard on Octagon control and takedown defence. I’ve been practising that for about a year and two months now – it shows it was worth it,” said Choi, whose previous fight was in December 2019.

“You have to be well-rounded to survive in the UFC, so since I’m good at stand-up, I try to work on wrestling and clinching. I also think you have to fight stylishly to attract fans and compete in the UFC for a long time.

Though Choi’s UFC adventure is only warming up, South Korea’s once-fledgling representation across the men’s and women’s divisions has dwindled to just seven fighters – and “Sting” wants to be the first from his nation to have president Dana White strap a belt around him.

“It’s an honour to be one of the Koreans fighting in the UFC but I don’t feel any pressure. I’m just eager to show my style and become a role model and influential fighter. I want people to know more about Korea.

“I also want to study English more so I can communicate with fans and become a more valuable fighter,” he said.

“My plan for the future is to work up the rankings and fight against some higher-ranked fighters. Eventually, I want to be a top 10 fighter then become the featherweight champion.”

Additional reporting by Yeo Ji-won

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