The protagonists of the first match between Korea and Japan in the new year were not soccer, baseball, or table tennis. The first Korea-Japan war this year is a bloody ‘real war’.
Mixed martial artist Kim Jae-woong (29) will play a Korea-Japan match against Sato Shoko (35, Japan) at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand (capacity: 11,440) at 6 am on the 14th (Korean time).
The tournament Kim Jae-woong competes in is ‘ONE Fight Night 6’ of One Championship. The two fighters agreed to this fight at the intermediate weight between bantamweight and featherweight.
The time of this competition is a bit difficult for Korean viewers. To set it at 8:00 p.m. New York time, USA. There is a time difference of 10 hours in Korea.
Jaewoong Kim and Sato are one of the two matches of ‘ONE Fight Night 6’ that will be additionally played at the Impact Arena after the main card is over. Both fighters agreed to fight at the intermediate weight between bantamweight and featherweight.
Sato served as the Japanese ‘Shuto’ bantamweight champion from 2017 to 2018. Jaewoong Kim is the 2017 Korean TFC Featherweight Champion. This is why the two fighters face each other in the middle of the familiar weight class.
They also have one thing in common: they are hard hitters who advanced to the One Championship in 2019. After entering, Kim Jae-woong is recording 4 wins and 3 losses, and Sato is recording 3 wins and 2 losses. As for the KO win rate in mixed martial arts, Jaewoong Kim boasts 69.2% (9/13) and Sato boasts 60.1% (20/33).
In mixed martial arts, Sato has a wealth of experience in 51 matches (33 wins, 2 draws, 15 losses, 1 null), but Kim Jae-woong was more successful in the One Championship. Aside from other experiences, he also competed as a title challenger with the title of first place in the official featherweight rankings.토토사이트
Kim Jae-woong fell away from the top of the featherweight division in March of last year when he suffered a punch KO defeat by Tang Kai (26, China), who was ranked 4th in the One Championship at the time. Seven months later, he surrendered to Shamil Gasanov (27, Russia)’s strangulation technique.
Tang Kai took the featherweight throne by driving the momentum of defeating Kim Jae-woong. 2015 Abu Dhabi Professional Jiu-Jitsu World Championship Gold Medalist Gasanov also rose to 5th place in the official ranking of the One Championship in recognition of his performance overtaking Kim Jae-woong.
Kim Jae-woong, who had difficulties in the featherweight division, made his one-championship bantamweight debut in splendor by TKOing former champion Kevin Bellingon (35, Philippines) in 2 minutes and 33 seconds last November.
If Kim Jae-woong defeats Sato in this match, which is held in the middle of the bantamweight and featherweight divisions, it will be a stepping stone to not only overcome the downward trend, but also to lower the weight class more smoothly. Of course, the fact that it is a ‘never lose’ Korea-Japan match will be the reason Kim Jae-woong has no choice but to fight harder.