Lee Jung-hyun (21), who challenged the UFC, an American mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, is known as a ‘rapper fighter’. While working as an MMA player, he appeared in Mnet’s hip-hop audition ‘Higher Rapper 4’ and boasted high-level rapping skills.
In a recent phone call with this magazine, Lee Jung-hyun said, 메이저놀이터“It was easy to get in touch with acquaintances and friends who do music. He said, “When there is a game, I focus on it, and when I have a break, I work on (music) with my acquaintances. I live doing everything I want to do,” he said.
Lee Jung-hyun, who described his rap skills as 70th out of 100, wants to catch both MMA and music. He said, “In fact, if no one knows that I do music, it feels like I am doing it alone. I hope that (the public) will know that I do martial arts and music,” he said.
Lee Jung-hyun, who says the nickname ‘rapper fighter’ is “a little embarrassing,” still wants to shine more in his main job, MMA. He said, “To have the title of rapper, you must have a regular album or be known. In the past, he asked a big company (Road FC) to go with a genius image,” he said, laughing, saying, “Now I want to be called a fighting genius.” Lee Jung-hyun hinted that he will release a single album next month.
Lee Jung-hyun, who started learning MMA at the age of 14, says he has been a martial arts fanatic since childhood. In particular, he was an avid fan of Road FC and climbed into the long-awaited Road FC cage with the fighter he idolized. Lee Jeong-hyeon, who honed his skills step by step, established himself as one of the strongest fighters in the domestic flyweight division. He proves that he is gay with a perfect record of ‘8 wins and 0 losses’ in Road FC. Now, to compete on the world stage, I will participate in Road to UFC Season 2, which will be held next month.
Lee Jung-hyun said, “I still have a lot of shortcomings and I think I am a player with great potential for growth. Still, most players in Korea have won, so now I have to prove it on the world stage.”
A powerful punch is Lee Jung-hyun’s greatest weapon. Usually, the finish doesn’t come out well in the flyweight division, but the moment his fist goes into the face, the opponent is knocked down. He has already proved it with results several times. However, many doubt his grappling ability.
Lee Jung-hyun said, “It’s not that he can’t grapple, but I think he has some weaknesses. He also lacks hitting and overall I don’t consider him to be a finished fighter. Through this stage, I want to become a perfect player.”
Coincidentally, Mark Climaco (26, Philippines), the first opponent of Road to UFC, has strength in wrestling. Klimaco trained at the American Kickboxing Academy, the team behind former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and current champion Islam Makhachev, in “God’s Realm” in ground fighting.
Lee Jung-hyun said, “Of the eight players who participated in the tournament, I honestly think my opponent was the strongest (except for me). He said, “If I win the first match well, I think I can easily go even to the championship.” He said, “I am preparing a lot for wrestling.”
The Road to UFC season 2 opening round will be held on the 27th and 28th of next month in Shanghai, China. Tournament winners enjoy the privilege of signing with the UFC.