Ko Seok-hyun Takes UFC Fight Three Weeks Before His Wedding

Ko Seok-hyun, who goes by "Korean Tyson," steps into a UFC welterweight bout with a wedding three weeks away. The 32-year-old faces Jean-Paul Lebosnoyan of the United States at UFC Fight Night: Du Plessis vs. Usman, at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City on Saturday, Korean time.

He is chasing a third straight UFC win and a seventh consecutive victory overall, a run that dates to 2022. Ko flew to Las Vegas on Tuesday to set up camp, landed at 9 p.m. local time, was in bed by 11 and up at 9 the next morning. Since then he has run conditioning sessions in the morning and technical work in the afternoon.

The bride said the fight comes first

Ko announced his August wedding around the time the bout was confirmed. He could have postponed either one and chose to go ahead with both.

"She told me the match comes first and encouraged me to compete," Ko said in a video interview with South Korean media on Thursday. "She even said we could pay the cancellation fee and push the wedding back, so I was able to prepare without any hesitation."

The couple met when he was teaching techniques to a gym member, who is now his fiancée. "She lifts my confidence and gives me the space to focus on my fights," he said. She will not travel to the event and plans to watch on TV at home.

Ko is not worried about marks on his face. "Even if my face gets bruised or cut up, I can cover it with makeup," he said.

A submission specialist across the cage

Lebosnoyan, 27, was trained in jiu-jitsu from an early age by his veteran father. Eight of his 10 professional bouts have ended by finish, five of them by submission. Ko says he has no concerns about grappling with him. "My wrestling will be overwhelmingly stronger," he said, adding that he is watching Lebosnoyan's jiu-jitsu movement and footwork.

Although Ko is widely regarded as a grappler, he put extra work into striking this camp. "I'm going for the KO, but I won't force it recklessly," he said. Ko hopes a win sets up a rematch with Jacoby Smith, a bout that fell through in February because of a rib injury, and he named Kevin Holland as another opponent he has in mind.

Asked about UFC 329 on Sunday, Ko picked Max Holloway over Conor McGregor, saying a five-year layoff means McGregor will likely need time to readjust.

Source: The Korea Herald