After a long hiatus due to injuries, South Korean martial arts fan favorite Doo Ho Choi (33) tasted victory in the UFC for the first time in eight years.
Doo Ho Choi scored a second-round TKO victory over Bill Alzio (USA) in a featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night: Remos vs. Zandirova on Nov. 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
It was Choi’s first UFC victory in eight years since July 2016 against Thiago Tavares (BRA).
He entered the UFC in 2014 after winning nine straight fights in the Japanese promotion Deep.
Since his debut, he has shown off his fierce fists with first-round knockouts of Juan Manuel Puig (MEX), Sam Sicilia (USA), and Tavares.
He quickly emerged as the UFC’s next big star, and although his three-fight winning streak was snapped in 2016 when he lost a decision to Cub Swanson (USA), he put on a relentlessly entertaining performance.
He will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2022.
Choi’s rise to the top was halted by back-to-back losses to Jeremy Stephens (USA) and Charles Jardin (Canada).
He then took a long hiatus due to injury and military enlistment, and his comeback fight against Kyle Nelson (CAN) last year after three years and two months was declared a draw after a disappointing decision.
Choi successfully defended a first-round takedown attempt by Alzio.
With his opponent exhausted, Doo Ho Choi continued to land punches in the second round, eventually landing a left hook to the face.
Alvaro signaled that he was in too much pain to continue, and Choi celebrated with a hug from “Korean Zombie” Chung Chan Sung, who came to the ringside area.
“Many people doubted me, but I trained and believed in myself and was able to win,” Choi said in a tearful ring interview.
Meanwhile, featherweight Lee Jung-young (28) and featherweight Choi Seung-woo (31), who competed together in the tournament, lost to Haider Amil (Philippines) and Steve Garcia (USA), respectively. 토토사이트 순위