Choi Hong-man Wins Superfight Match

Choi Hong-man won his first Superfight victory of the year at a match held in Las Vegas. Attending the K-1 World Grand Prix Superfight held at the Mirage Hotel, Choi won a match against former pro wrestling star Predator by a unanimous decision from the judges, who voted 3-0 in favor of Choi. His record is now seven wins (three by KO) and one defeat.

As soon as the gong sounded, Choi landed a chain of left hooks on Predator’s face and got a knockdown on Predator. His mix of attacks including knee kicks flustered Predator from early on.

In the second round, Choi made full use of his superior reach and countered a Predator kick with a left straight punch, which sent Predator down on the floor for the second time. Predator’s bulky figure, that stands 198cm tall and weighs 139 kg, looked smaller when compared to Choi’s gargantuan (218 cm, 158kg) presence.

With his face covered with blood, Predator displayed incredible tenacity and aggressiveness in the latter part of the match. Choi’s movement slowed down rapidly after the midpoint of the match, and he frequently exposed himself to Predator’s attacks. Choi buckled down on his knees in the third round after receiving a low blow, but eventually won the match by decision.

In the Super Match held previous to Choi and Predator’s, Sammy Schultz won a victory over Japan’s Musashi by a 3-0 decision.

Jae-Yun Jung jaeyuna@donga.com