The ‘Road to UFC’ season 2 competition with UFC contracts for promising Asian fighters is approaching in two weeks. While there are players who are competing for the first time this time, there are also those who unfortunately failed in the last competition and tried again.
‘The Danger’ Ki Ki-bin (34, Team Danger) is also one of those who took on the challenge again. Gi-Bin Ki, who missed the opportunity to win the title by KO in the first round by Jeka Saragi (28, Indonesia) in the lightweight semi-finals of the last ‘Road to UFC’, started once again. This time, it’s with ‘Korean Zombie’ Chan-sung Jeong.
Ki Ki-bin is a fighter who has won the title of lightweight champion in both Korea and Japan. He is 180cm tall and weighs 70kg, and his strength is that he has a hot game based on his long reach. He has a particularly powerful one-shot, with 11 of his 17 victories being KO/TKO. Here, he has a warm appearance.
In 2019, he became the Japanese fighting group ‘Gladiator’ lightweight champion, and in 2021, the Korean fighting group ‘Double G’ lightweight champion. In the ‘Gladiator 020’ competition held at 176BOX in Osaka, Japan last January, he secured the championship belt by winning TKO in 4 minutes and 58 seconds in the second round against challenger Gustavo Willicher (39, Brazil).
The opponent Ki Ki-bin will face in the first match of season 2 of ‘Road to UFC’ is Barter Borati (25, China). Batter Borati has a record of 7 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. In the meantime, he was active on the Chinese stage, and he was just starting to emerge last year by winning 1 win and 1 loss at the LFA, an American fighting group. It is also noteworthy that most of his career has been active with weights ranging from welterweight to middleweight, which are upper weight classes. He has only had two fights at lightweight.
Looking forward to the match on the 28th, Ki Won-bin is looking forward to seeing what he will do.
We interviewed Ki Won-bin, who was on his way to the ‘Road to UFC’ again.
– Congratulations on winning the gladiator championship defense in January. If you look back at the game.
At first, I tried to solve it by hitting. After sticking together, I thought that grappling worked to some extent, so I knocked it off the cage wall and headed to the ground as I practiced. After that, he won by KO with a pounding and an elbow. I thought I had to win because I lost the last game. I always had the mindset to win, so I felt really good (after winning). But I wanted to show a better image. It was a pity that all the prepared parts did not come out.
– How is your condition these days ahead of Season 2 of ‘Road to UFC’?
Condition is very good. Mind control is also good. This is the current finishing process. If I focus more on the last two weeks and finish well (preparation), I think I can expect good results.
– I saw a post on Korean Zombie Instagram. Among martial arts fans, “It’s a road to UFC application. It’s a UFC contract.” Some people were curious. What content did it contain?
The post that Chansung posted on his older brother’s Instagram was a signed contract with an offer from ‘Road to UFC’. (Details) On May 27th and 28th, it was about battling with China’s Baha Turbo and Batuborati. It was signed there. It’s not a ‘I’m going to compete on the road to UFC’ application.
– Do you often share information or communicate with other players preparing together?
I have my own team, Team Danger, but I often join Korean Zombie MMA with Chansung hyung. Currently, I compete in ‘Road to UFC’ with 메이저사이트(Kim) Hanseul and (Choi) Seungguk, and we talk about strategies together. Chansung is also discussing the plan with his older brother and is preparing.
– In Korean Zombie MMA, which part did you focus on supplementing?
Chansung hyung is good at everything including grappling, but his eyes are also very good. He analyzes and tells a lot about what he lacks in striking, what he lacks in grappling, and why he made mistakes. I’ve been doing it for a long time, so I’ve experienced a lot and know a lot of fighters, but I can understand why Chansung hyung is achieving that level in the UFC after meeting and talking with him in person. how did you get to that place? There was a reason, not luck. It’s not that it’s helpful in some areas, it’s not that it’s not helpful, but it’s technically and it’s helping in many ways.
– In the semi-finals of the last ‘Road to UFC’, you were defeated by Zecca Saragi in the first round by KO. What do you think was the loss at that time?
There is a part where mistakes are often made. During a game, there is something to relax when I think that the team’s strategy or that the opponent is worse than I thought. That’s why it’s like putting more pressure on it or putting more into it. At that time, I lost a lot to opponents who suddenly jumped in. I think I lose a lot when I have a lot of greed to enter.
– I’m curious about what made you decide to compete again. How did the people around you react?
I had a big defeat right before, so I thought that I might not have a chance. But luckily, I found it again. Going to the UFC is every fighter’s dream. So, without thinking, I unconditionally accepted it, and I just thought that I would not miss an opportunity that would never come again. People close to me said, ‘Don’t get knocked out again, do well this time. Because it’s the last time’ I think I said this a lot. ‘Let’s take this chance. Let’s win this time’.
– This tournament is held in China, and the first opponent is a Chinese player. Are there any burdens associated with it?
There is no such burden. I’ve never had a burden on the other side. But there is a burden on ‘me’. What I have been working hard on is how to perform well during competitions. A lot of people, including Chansung hyung, are helping me, so I always think about how I can solve the problems well so that my efforts are not in vain, and how I can digest what I have learned so far.
– Your first opponent has a long history of working in a weight class higher than lightweight. How are you preparing for Baha Turbo or Bar Turbo Rati?
We talk a lot about weight. I originally came from featherweight. The more records I accumulated, the more weight I gained. So I also lost a lot of weight, so I don’t have any burden of weight. As I said before, there is no burden on the other party. There is no problem at all because I only think ‘I can do well’.
– Please say something to your fans.
I was given an opportunity that would never come again. First of all, I want to express my gratitude to those who help and support me. I know that there are quite a few people who are worried or don’t have expectations for Ki Ki-bin. I have a great desire to prove it to those people once again. I hope you’ll keep an eye on how much I’ve grown since that game. I want to tell you that even a small amount of support is of great help to me.