by JAMES S. KIM
It took just 18 seconds for featherweight Doo Ho Choi to make a strong first impression in his UFC debut. In the opening bout of UFC Fight Night 57 on Saturday, the “Korean Superboy” landed a strong right punch on the chin of his opponent, Juan Puig, dropping him to the ground. The referee ended the fight a few seconds later, awarding Choi the win by technical knockout (TKO).
The fight couldn’t have gone any better for the 23-year-old Choi, a native from Daegu, South Korea native, as he notched his 10th career victory in a row and his first victory in the UFC. His record now stands at 11-4 for his mixed martial arts career.
“It’s never easy,” Choi told MMA Junkie. “I knew that I have the punching power to knock out anyone in this weight class. I’m always good at seeing the body movement of my opponent. I saw his left and and then went for it. I want to rest a little bit and then I’ll be ready for my next fight.”
Choi definitely seemed to recognize Puig’s game plan from the start. Puig began with a couple of tentative left jabs, and Choi was quick to time it. After his first counter missed, Choi dodged an ill-fated jab by Puig, then followed with a straight right punch over Puig’s extend left arm.
Puig dropped to the mat in a daze, and Choi flew in with a flurry of punches as Puig rolled on his side to protect himself. The referee saw enough, calling the fight and awarding Choi the victory.
Coming in as a 5-to-1 favorite, Choi definitely seemed to live up to expectations as he made quick work of his opponent. However, Puig said he was unhappy with the early stoppage and wanted a rematch.
Choi, who stands at 5’10” and weighs 145 lbs, began his MMA career in 2009. He amassed a career record of 11-1 coming into Saturday’s fight, with his only loss a result of a close split decision in a June 2010 bout. The majority of his wins have come by the way of his striking power, resulting in plenty of knockouts, but his takedown defense is rock solid as evidenced from his previous fights.
You can watch the full fight in all of its 18 seconds at MMA Core, as well as a breakdown of Choi’s skills below.
Image via Odia.com
