Korean Loses Against K-1 Champion

“I thought we would go to extra rounds, but the results were unexpected and that is frustrating. I have learned many things in this match and have gained confidence that I will do better next time,” said Choi Hong-man after losing an unanimous decision against K-1 defending champion Remy Bonjasky on November 19 at the Tokyo Dome. The elimination took place in the quarterfinals of the K-1 World Grand Prix, a fighting tourney, and Choi said that he got accustomed to K-1 in a game against a strong opponent.

Fighter loses after a close fight—

“I prepared a lot, but I think that I only used 50 percent of what I’ve got. Although my winning streak is over, I hope that my fans would judge me on the match rather than the result of the match.

How does fighting Bonjasky feel?—

“I tried not to get anxious because he is the defending champion, but it did get on my nerves. Honestly, at first I was scared, but when I actually took him on, I had a chance. His low kicks did not have much of an impact on me.”

What do you think is the reason for your loss?—

“I tried to use the knee kick at close range, but Bonjasky did not give me the opportunity, and blocked me from using it. I had the impression he is a smart fighter.”

Choi’s bout against Bonjasky set an all-time record for cable TV ratings. MBC-ESPN, which broadcast the match live, had a rating of 22.78 percent at 5:52 p.m. when Choi was fighting. This number is far greater than the 15.73 percent rating that Choi’s match against Bob Sapp recorded on September 23.

Won-Jae Park parkwj@donga.com