Doo Ho Choi let all of it hang around throughout and after his battle at UFC Vegas 94.
It had been a very long time since Choi tasted victory contained in the octagon, because of a mixture of losses and inactivity. You’d need to go way back to 2016 to seek out Choi’s most up-to-date win, a quick knockout of Thiago Tavares that preceded a future Corridor of Fame battle with Cub Swanson at UFC 206.
On Saturday, Choi lastly had his hand raised once more following a tricky battle with Invoice Algeo that ended with Choi knocking out a shocked Algeo within the second spherical. Afterward, Choi was visibly emotional, and he described what was going via his thoughts in that second chatting with the media backstage at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
“I received emotional as a result of this win was a very long time coming,” Choi stated through a Korean translator. “It’s been some time. It’s been some time since I received, and the final time it didn’t go very nicely and I heard all of the haters, all of the people who stated I’m achieved and I can’t do it anymore. It began to have an effect on me. I began to doubt myself a bit bit.
“I used to be considering, ‘Is that this actually it? Am I actually achieved?’ I saved religion in myself and I needed to show it to myself, and I proved it to myself tonight, in order that’s why I’m emotional.”
Choi, fondly often known as “The Korean Superboy,” was a 23-year-old blue-chip prospect when he made his UFC debut with an 18-second knockout of Juan Manuel Puig in 2014. He received 14 of his first 15 professional bouts earlier than falling brief in a traditional brawl towards Swanson.
Two extra losses adopted after which Choi needed to spend two years within the army, a compulsory service in his native South Korea. He returned in February 2023 towards Kyle Nelson, however might solely muster a majority draw after a powerful efficiency that was dulled by Choi receiving a point-deduction for a head butt within the third spherical.
Via all that, Choi remained optimistic.
“I do know that is the one factor that I’m good at,” Choi stated. “If I attempt my finest and go away all of it on the market and if it doesn’t go my manner, then I can settle for that, possibly I don’t have it. I saved believing in myself and saved making an attempt and I received it achieved.”
Choi had an additional increase Saturday with the legendary “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in his nook. Although Choi will not be formally a part of Jung’s workforce, he considers Jung to be a mentor and the 2 work intently collectively when Choi prepares for fights.
He made positive to thank Jung each in his post-fight speech and in his media scrum.
“I’m very grateful for ‘Zombie’ as a result of he places into my fights the quantity effort that he put into his previous title fights,” Choi stated. “That’s the quantity of care that he places into my camps.”
Watch Choi’s post-fight media scrum under, courtesy of FanSided MMA.
