Hwaighting! Pt. 4: A People’s History of South Korean MMA

Today, Korea is flourishing with talented Mixed Martial Artists. The most famous being “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung. Fans like him because of his aggressive, wild fighting style, and his awesome nick name doesn't hurt either. Jung holds a special place in MMA history; he was the number 1 contender for Jose Aldo’s Featherweight Strap, the first Korean fighter to ever compete for a UFC title. Jung represents the best that Korean MMA has to offer right now, but he isn't the only world class Korean fighter. Dong Hyun Kim, Kyung Ho Kang, and Hyung Gyu Lim also compete in the UFC, and Korean talent fills the ranks of One FC, Asia’s top MMA promotion. As a matter of fact, Soo Chul Kim will unify the One FC Bantamweight title when he fights interim champ Bibiano Fernandes. Clearly Korean MMA is making big waves on the global circuit.

But before cracking the international scene, most Korean fighters fight their way up in the local shows. At home, Road FC is the dominant MMA league (the only other league right now is TOP FC, which just hosted its first show). The structure set up by CEO Moonhong Jung not only showcases top Korean fighters, but also helps build the national talent by giving amateur and rookie Mixed Martial Artists a platform to compete. He originally set up Road FC as a way for Korean fighters to be able to earn a living and build experience. Today his vision has extended beyond just MMA. “Cage Grappling” matches, held in the Road FC Central League (a league for fighters to compete in grappling and striking matches but not MMA), are jiu jitsu matches that take place in the cage. Though there is no striking, cage grappling allows aspiring fighters to get comfortable maneuvering and wrestling inside a cage. After gaining experience competing in a cage, a novice fighter can compete in the Road FC Amateur League. This league gives new fighters a chance to showcase their skills before entering the professional circuit. Moonhong Jung not only helps promote the top Korean athletes, but also gives new fighters the chance to blossom slowly and develop their skills.

Production wise, Road FC looks a lot like Pride, but on a smaller scale and with a cage. Lazers shine on a big stage where the fighters emerge, and a long ramp brings them to the cage. Pyrotechnics along the ramp are used as the fighter’s names are announced, blowing flames 6 feet high that follow both sides of the ramp. Before the start of the main card, K-pop singers and dancers perform to warm up the crowd. It’s a giant spectacle that includes some of Korea’s biggest stars.

Once the fights start, it is again similar to Pride. Like Japanese fight fans, Koreans sit quietly while the fights go on, and only occasionally break into chants or yells. One can easily hear the corner-men shout instructions, and every big punch pierces the silence that surrounds the cage. Only after a big exchange on the feet or a transition on the ground do the fans slip into a burst of applause.

The fighters on the card are mostly Korean, but the promoters bring in some big name international fighters to build interest. Melvin Manhoef, Ikuhisa Minowa, Thierry Sokoudjou all competed against Korean Fighters under the Road FC banner. Though there are Korean on Korean fights, the shows are generally lined up to showcase Korean fighters against foreigners. This plays to the strong nationalism of Korea. Shouts of “Korea Fighting!” are heard throughout the night, and a Korean win is celebrated with roaring applause. Even so, the crowd behaves very respectful of foreign fighters; especially big names coming from overseas. Despite fighting a local guy, Sokoudjou got a big round of applause when he beat Team Posse coach, Seung Bae Whi. Sometimes being a fight fan is more important than sharing a national identity.

I was lucky enough to watch the finals match of the Road FC Lightweight  tournament; pitting South Korea’s Yui Chul Nam against Japan’s Takasuke Kume. Kume was rumored to have been scouted by the UFC, and a win that night would bring him up to the big leagues, while Nam was relatively unknown outside the Korean fight scene. The fight lived up to its main event status. The two put on a thrilling back and forth battle that after 15 grueling minutes was called a draw, which then required a final 4th round to decide the victor. Kume took the first advantage in the overtime round by getting a takedown, but Nam got back up and got a takedown of his own where he tried to advance position. Kume blocked his opponent’s offense and was able to get back to his feet. They exchanged strikes on the feet and in the clinch, and Suddenly with only seconds left, Nam shot in for a takedown and stole the round. The horn sounded and Nam raised his arms in victory while the crowd went wild. The judges announced him the victor and confetti poured down into the cage while fireworks erupted along the ramp, and then lazers brought the crowd into even more of a craze. It was pretty freakin cool.

In its short history, Korean MMA already produced a strong stable of world class fighters. In a country where MMA is still looked down on by a significant portion of the population, Korean Mixed Martial Artists continue to fight on. In only ten years Korea produced a worthy challenger for a UFC world title. “The Korean Zombie” will forever be the first Korean national to earn a shot to be the best. And his fight with Aldo follows a similar narrative to the fight his fellow Korean fighters are currently waging. Few people gave Jung a shot at beating Aldo, and for a while he seemed content just being there. But after his ring rust was shaken off, he attacked the champion with every weapon in his arsenal, and I bet you the whole Korean MMA community went ape shit when he landed that flying knee in the 3^rd round. In the end, Zombie was too tough for his own good. Even after having his shoulder dislocated, he tried to pop it back in and continue fighting, and the ref mercifully stopped the fight.

The bar has been set by “The Korea Zombie,” and it is now up to the next generation of fighters to surpass it. Given the growing social acceptance of MMA, the fantastic training environments available, and the well structured local circuits for fighters to build their careers, I have to believe that Korean MMA will only get better. I’m sure there were plenty of young Korean fighters inspired by Jung’s heart and determination in that fight. These new fighters can look up to Jung's toughness, and they can look up to their parent's hard work ethic. From a war torn nation to an emerging global power, and from MMA obscurity to producing title challengers, Koreans know how to fight.

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