Doo Ho Choi let all of it hang around throughout and after his struggle 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 search out Choi’s most up-to-date win, a quick knockout of Thiago Tavares that preceded a future Corridor of Fame struggle with Cub Swanson at UFC 206.
On Saturday, Choi lastly had his hand raised once more following a troublesome struggle with Invoice Algeo that ended with Choi knocking out a surprised Algeo within the second spherical. Afterward, Choi was visibly emotional, and he described what was going by means of 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 mentioned by way of a Korean translator. “It’s been some time. It’s been some time since I gained, and the final time it didn’t go very properly and I heard all of the haters, all of the those who mentioned I’m executed and I can’t do it anymore. It began to have an effect on me. I began to doubt myself a bit of bit.
“I used to be considering, ‘Is that this actually it? Am I actually executed?’ I stored 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 referred to 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 gained 14 of his first 15 professional bouts earlier than falling quick in a traditional brawl in opposition to Swanson.
Two extra losses adopted after which Choi needed to spend two years within the navy, a compulsory service in his native South Korea. He returned in February 2023 in opposition to 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.
By way of all that, Choi remained optimistic.
“I do know that is the one factor that I’m good at,” Choi mentioned. “If I attempt my finest and depart all of it on the market and if it doesn’t go my means, then I can settle for that, perhaps I don’t have it. I stored believing in myself and stored making an attempt and I received it executed.”
Choi had an additional enhance Saturday with the legendary “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung in his nook. Although Choi just isn’t 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 mentioned. “That’s the quantity of care that he places into my camps.”
Watch Choi’s post-fight media scrum under, courtesy of FanSided MMA.
