UFC Vegas 33: South Korea’s ‘Mr Perfect’ Kang Kyun-ho promises something ‘spectacular’
- Bantamweight Kang takes 3-0 run into clash with Brazilian veteran Rani Yahya
- ‘It’s been a long break but I haven’t forgotten. It feels like I never left,’ says Kang
It’s an indication of how hard they go at life inside the Team Mad gym in Busan that Korean bantamweight Kang Kyung-ho seems unnervingly unsurprised that he suffered an orbital fracture during what was supposed to be just your average, everyday, routine sparring session.
In fact, Kang shakes off the memory of the gruesome injury as though it were no big thing at all.
“I got a punch,” Kang explains to the Post via Zoom and with a shrug. “We have intense, hard training at Team Mad. I think everyone knows that. We spar hard and sometimes you’re just gonna get hurt.”
What’s fuelled the man known as “Mr Perfect” during his recovery from the fracture – and across the 18 months he’s been out of the cage – is the 3-0 run he was on going into his extended break.
The 33-year-old Kang (18-8, one no contest) now steps back into action against Brazilian veteran Rani Yahya (27-10-1, one no contest) at UFC Vegas 33 this weekend. He’s rebuilt, recharged and vowing to put on a “spectacular show” on a bout that – through fate and good fortune for Kang – was this week shifted to a co-main event status.
“It’s been a long break but I haven’t forgotten that feeling of being 3-0. It feels like I never left,” says Kang. “I’m thrilled to be a co-main. But personally nothing really changes. Whether I’m the co-main or not I have come very prepared and I’m ready to show the skills that I’ve been working on – and I’ve been working hard.”